Key: D major
Intro 1
C
F
C
F
C
F
C
G
C
Verse 1
F
Tom Joad got
C
out of the old McAlester Pen
F
C
There he got his parole
F
After four long years on
C
a man killing charge
Tom Joad come a- walkin' down the road,
poor boy
Tom Joad come a- walkin'
G
C
down the road
Verse 2
F
C
Tom Joad, he met a truck driving man
F
C
There he caught him a ride
F
He said, I just got loose from
C
McAlester Pen
On a charge called homicide
G
A charge called homicide
Verse 3
C
F
That truck rolled away
C
in a cloud of dust
F
C
Tommy turned his face toward home
F
He met Preacher Casey,
C
and they had a little drink
But they found that his family
they was gone
G
He found that his family
C
they was gone
Verse 4
F
He found his mother's
C
old fashion shoe
F
C
Found his daddy's hat
F
And he found little Muley
C
and Muley said
They've been tractored out
by the cats
G
C
They've been tractored out by the cats
Verse 5
F
Tom Joad walked down to
C
the neighbor's farm
F
Found his family
C
F
They took Preacher Casey
C
and loaded in a car
And his mother said,
We've got to get away
G
C
His mother said, We've got to get away
Verse 6
F
Now, the twelve of the Joads made
C
a mighty heavy load
F
C
But Grandpa Joad did cry
F
He picked up a handful
C
of land in his hand
Said: I'm stayin' with the farm till I die
G
C
Yes, I'm stayin' with the farm till I die
Verse 7
F
They fed him short ribs and
C
coffee and soothing syrup
F
C
And Grandpa Joad did die
F
They buried Grandpa Joad by
C
the side of the road
Grandma on the California side
They buried Grandma on
G
C
the California side
Verse 8
F
They stood on a mountain and
C
they looked to the west
F
C
And it looked like the promised land
F
That bright green valley with
C
a river running through
There was work for every single hand,
they thought
G
C
There was work for every single hand
Verse 9
F
The Joads rolled away to
C
the jungle camp
F
C
There they cooked a stew
F
And the hungry little kids
C
of the jungle camp
Said: We'd like to have some, too
G
C
Said: We'd like to have some, too
Verse 10
F
C
Now a deputy sheriff fired loose at a man
F
C
Shot a woman in the back
F
C
Before he could take his aim again
Preacher Casey dropped him in his track,
poor boy
G
C
Preacher Casey dropped him in his track
Verse 11
F
They handcuffed Casey and
C
they took him in jail
F
C
And then he got away
F
And he met Tom Joad
C
on the old river bridge
And these few words he did say,
poor boy
G
C
These few words he did say
Verse 12
F
I preached for the Lord
C
a mighty long time
F
C
Preached about the rich and the poor
F
C
Us workin' folkses, all get together
Cause we ain't got a chance anymore
G
C
We ain't got a chance anymore
Verse 13
F
Now, the deputies come,
C
and Tom and Casey run
F
C
To the bridge where the water run down
F
But the vigilante thugs hit
C
Casey with a club
They laid Preacher Casey on the ground,
poor Casey
G
C
They laid Preacher Casey on the ground
Verse 14
F
C
Tom Joad, he grabbed that deputy's club
F
C
Hit him over the head
F
C
Tom Joad took flight in the dark rainy night
And a deputy and a preacher lying dead,
two men
G
C
A deputy and a preacher lying dead
Verse 15
F
C
Tom run back where his mother was asleep
F
C
He woke her up out of bed
F
An' he kissed goodbye to
C
the mother that he loved
Said what Preacher Casey said,
Tom Joad
G
C
He said what Preacher Casey said
Verse 16
F
C
Ever'body might be just one big soul
F
C
Well it looks that a- way to me
F
Everywhere that you look,
C
in the day or night
That's where I'm a- gonna be, Ma
G
C
That's where I'm a- gonna be
Verse 17
F
Wherever little children are
C
hungry and cry
F
C
Wherever people ain't free
F
Wherever men are fight
C
in' for their rights
That's where I'm a- gonna be, Ma
G
That's where I'm a- gonna
C
be
Outro 1
F
C
F
C
F
C
G
C
How did you like the song?
TunerE A D G B E
ChordsC F G
More songs by Arlo Guthrie
Discover chords for more songs to play
4.8
Popular chords globally
Most played chords & tabs across all users