Tom Joad he got out the old McAlester Pen
He got his parole
After four long years on a man killing charge
Tom Joad come walkin' down the road, poor boy
Tom Joad come walkin' down the road

Tom Joad, he met a truck drivin' man,
And he caught him a ride
Said "I just got loose from the McAlester Pen
On a charge called homicide,
On a charge called homicide"

Well that truck rolled away in a cloud of dust
Tommy turned his face toward home
He met Preacher Casy
And they had a little drink
They found that his family was gone,
They found that his family was gone

They found his mother's old fashioned shoe,
and they found his daddy's hat
And they found little Muley, and Muley said,
"they been tractored off by the cats, Tommy boy
They been tractored off by the cats"

Tom Joad, he walked down to the neighbor's farm,
and he found his family
He took Preacher Casy
and he loaded up the car,
And his mother said, "We got to get away, Tommy Boy"
His mother said, "we got to get away"

Now the twelve of the Joads, they made mighty heavy load,
And Grampa Joad, he did cry
He picked up a handful of land in his hand
He said, "I'm stayin' with this farm till I die
I'm stayin' here till I die"

They fed him short ribs and coffee and syrup
And Grampa Joad, he did die
They buried Grampa Joad by the side of the road,
buried Grandma on the California side
Buried Grandma on the California side

They stood on a mountain and they looked to the west,
and it looked like the Promised Land
That bright green valley with a river runnin' through
held work for every single hand They thought,
"There'l