The Ghost of Tom Joad

Man walks along the railroad track He's goin' some place and there's no turnin' back The highway patrol chopper comin' up over the ridge Man sleeps by a campfire under the bridge The shelter line stretchin' around the corner Welcome to the New World Order Families sleepin' in their cars out in the southwest No job, no hope, no peace, no rest No rest! And the highway is alive tonight Nobody's foolin' nobody is to where it goes I'm sitting down here in the campfire light Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad He pulls his prayer book out of a sleepin' bag The preacher lights up a butt and takes a drag He's waitin' for the time when the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass With a one way ticket to the promised land With a hole in your belly and a gun in your hand Lookin' for a pillow of solid rock Bathin' in the cities' aqueducts And the highway is alive tonight Nobody's foolin' nobody is to where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light With the ghost of old Tom Joad And Tom said, "Ma, whenever you seen a cop beatin' a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Wherever there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air Look for me ma, I'll be there" "Wherever somebodies stuglin' for a place to stand For a decent job or a helpin' hand Wherever somebody is strugglin' to be free Look in their eyes, ma, you'll see me" You'll see me, you'll see me You'll see me, you'll see me You'll see me, you'll see me You'll see me, you'll see me And the highway is alive tonight Nobody's foolin' nobody is to where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light With the ghost of Tom Joad