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Tom Joad chords by
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
The Dillards
The Dillards
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N/A
Key: D major
Intro 1
D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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Verse 1
G
G

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Tom Joad got
D
D

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out of the old McAlester Pen
G
G

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D
D

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There he got his parole
G
G

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After four long years on
D
D

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a man killing charge

Tom Joad come a- walkin' down the road,

poor boy

Tom Joad come a- walkin'
A
A

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D
D

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down the road
Verse 2
G
G

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D
D

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Tom Joad, he met a truck driving man
G
G

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D
D

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There he caught him a ride
G
G

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He said, I just got loose from
D
D

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McAlester Pen

On a charge called homicide
A
A

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A charge called homicide
Verse 3
D
D

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G
G

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That truck rolled away
D
D

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in a cloud of dust
G
G

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D
D

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Tommy turned his face toward home
G
G

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He met Preacher Casey,
D
D

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and they had a little drink

But they found that his family

they was gone
A
A

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He found that his family
D
D

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they was gone
Verse 4
G
G

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He found his mother's
D
D

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old fashion shoe
G
G

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D
D

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Found his daddy's hat
G
G

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And he found little Muley
D
D

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and Muley said

They've been tractored out

by the cats
A
A

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D
D

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They've been tractored out by the cats
Verse 5
G
G

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Tom Joad walked down to
D
D

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the neighbor's farm
G
G

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Found his family
D
D

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G
G

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They took Preacher Casey
D
D

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and loaded in a car

And his mother said,

We've got to get away
A
A

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D
D

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His mother said, We've got to get away
Verse 6
G
G

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Now, the twelve of the Joads made
D
D

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a mighty heavy load
G
G

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D
D

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But Grandpa Joad did cry
G
G

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He picked up a handful
D
D

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of land in his hand

Said: I'm stayin' with the farm till I die
A
A

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D
D

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Yes, I'm stayin' with the farm till I die
Verse 7
G
G

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They fed him short ribs and
D
D

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coffee and soothing syrup
G
G

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D
D

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And Grandpa Joad did die
G
G

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They buried Grandpa Joad by
D
D

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the side of the road

Grandma on the California side

They buried Grandma on
A
A

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D
D

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the California side
Verse 8
G
G

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They stood on a mountain and
D
D

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they looked to the west
G
G

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D
D

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And it looked like the promised land
G
G

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That bright green valley with
D
D

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a river running through

There was work for every single hand,

they thought
A
A

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D
D

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There was work for every single hand
Verse 9
G
G

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The Joads rolled away to
D
D

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the jungle camp
G
G

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D
D

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There they cooked a stew
G
G

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And the hungry little kids
D
D

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of the jungle camp

Said: We'd like to have some, too
A
A

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D
D

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Said: We'd like to have some, too
Verse 10
G
G

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D
D

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Now a deputy sheriff fired loose at a man
G
G

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D
D

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Shot a woman in the back
G
G

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D
D

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Before he could take his aim again

Preacher Casey dropped him in his track,

poor boy
A
A

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D
D

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Preacher Casey dropped him in his track
Verse 11
G
G

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They handcuffed Casey and
D
D

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they took him in jail
G
G

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D
D

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And then he got away
G
G

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And he met Tom Joad
D
D

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on the old river bridge

And these few words he did say,

poor boy
A
A

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D
D

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These few words he did say
Verse 12
G
G

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I preached for the Lord
D
D

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a mighty long time
G
G

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D
D

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Preached about the rich and the poor
G
G

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D
D

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Us workin' folkses, all get together

Cause we ain't got a chance anymore
A
A

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D
D

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We ain't got a chance anymore
Verse 13
G
G

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Now, the deputies come,
D
D

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and Tom and Casey run
G
G

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D
D

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To the bridge where the water run down
G
G

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But the vigilante thugs hit
D
D

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Casey with a club

They laid Preacher Casey on the ground,

poor Casey
A
A

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D
D

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They laid Preacher Casey on the ground
Verse 14
G
G

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D
D

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Tom Joad, he grabbed that deputy's club
G
G

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D
D

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Hit him over the head
G
G

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D
D

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Tom Joad took flight in the dark rainy night

And a deputy and a preacher lying dead,

two men
A
A

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D
D

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A deputy and a preacher lying dead
Verse 15
G
G

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D
D

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Tom run back where his mother was asleep
G
G

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D
D

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He woke her up out of bed
G
G

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An' he kissed goodbye to
D
D

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the mother that he loved

Said what Preacher Casey said,

Tom Joad
A
A

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D
D

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He said what Preacher Casey said
Verse 16
G
G

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D
D

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Ever'body might be just one big soul
G
G

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D
D

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Well it looks that a- way to me
G
G

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Everywhere that you look,
D
D

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in the day or night

That's where I'm a- gonna be, Ma
A
A

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D
D

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That's where I'm a- gonna be
Verse 17
G
G

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Wherever little children are
D
D

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hungry and cry
G
G

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D
D

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Wherever people ain't free
G
G

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Wherever men are fight
D
D

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in' for their rights

That's where I'm a- gonna be, Ma
A
A

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That's where I'm a- gonna
D
D

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be
Outro 1
G
G

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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G
G

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D
D

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A
A

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D
D

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Chords
  • D

  • G

  • A

Capo: 0

Transpose: 0

0

Autoscroll20%

Frequently asked questions

The original key of Tom Joad by Arlo Guthrie, The Dillards is D major.

The primary chords used in Tom Joad are D, G, A.

No capo is required for this song.

Yes, this version uses open chords like D, G, A, making it a great song for beginner guitarists.

The tempo of Tom Joad is approximately 118 beats per minute.

You can easily change the key of Tom Joad using our Transpose button located in the toolbar. This will automatically update all chord diagrams on the page to match your new key.

Yes! Click the Print icon to generate a clean, one-page version of the chords and lyrics for Tom Joad. This is perfect for practicing offline or adding to a physical songbook.

Yes, we have integrated a Mini-Tuner directly on this page. Use it to quickly check your string pitch (Standard Tuning: E A D G B E) before you start playing along with Arlo Guthrie, The Dillards.

Absolutely. Click the Save or Heart icon to add Tom Joad to your account. You can access all your saved songs under My Library at any time.

You can view the full chord sheet and lyrics for Tom Joad by Arlo Guthrie, The Dillards on this page for free. We provide high-quality, verified chords to help you start playing immediately.