Note: I'm just including chords for this song, since not all of it is fingerpicked in a repeating pattern, and since I play this by myself I strum most of it after the first chorus, anyway. Harmonica players will be glad to see this song is in B minor, which allows you to play it on your D major harmonica. (Nebrasks fans will undoubtedly have a D harmonica.) I don't include fingerings for this song. There'll standard, as far as my ear can discern.
Men walkin' long the railroad tracks
Goin' someplace there's no goin' back
Highway patrol choppers comin' up over the ridge
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin' round the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleepin' in their cars in the Southwest
No home no job no peace no rest
The highway is alive tonight
But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes
I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light
Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad
He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag Preachers lights up a butt and takes a drag Waitin' for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass Got a one-way ticket to the promised land You got a hole in your belly and a gun in your hand Sleeping on a pillow of solid rock Bathin' in the city aqueduct
The highway is alive tonight Where it's headed everybody knows I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light Waitin' on the ghost of Tom Joad
Now Tom said, "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air Look for me Mom I'll be there Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand Or a decent job or a helpin' hand Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."
Well the highway is alive tonight But nobody's kiddin' nobody about where it goes I'm sittin' down here in the campfire light With the ghost of old Tom Joad
************************************************************** Corrections are more than welcome. Enjoy!
Playwriting, Department of Theatre and Dance **************************************************************
The Ghost of Tom Joad Bruce Springsteen
Posted and tabbed by Jason Norman This is the title track of the album.
Men walkin long the railroad tracks Dsus2 Goin someplace theres no goin back
High patrol choppers commin up over the ridge Dsus4 Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge
Shelter line stretchin round the corner Welcome to the new world order Families sleepin in their cars in the Southwest No home no job no peace no rest
The highway is alive tonight Dsus4 But it's kiddin nobody about where it goes
I'm sittin down here in the campfire light Dsus4 Searchin for the ghost of Tom Joad
He pulls a prayer book out of his sleepin bag Preacher lights up a butt and he takes a drag Waitin for When the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass
Got a one way ticket to the promised land You got a hole in your belly and a gun in your hand Sleepin on a pillow of solid rock Bathin in the city aqueduct
The highway is alive tonight Where it's headed everybody knows I'm sittin down here in the campfire light Waitin on the ghost of Tom Joad
Now Tom said "Mom wherever theres a cop beatin a guy Wherever a hungry new-born baby cries Where theres a fight against the blood and hatred in the air Look for me Mom I'll be there
Wherever theres somebody fightin for a place to stand Or a decent job or a helpin hand Wherever somebody's strugglin to be free Look in there eyes Mom you'll see me"
Well the highway is alive tonight But it's kiddin nobody about where it goes I'm sittin down here in the campfire light With the ghost of old Tom Joad
