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 home no peace no rest no rest and the highway is alive tonight nobody s foolin nobody as to where it goes i m sitting down here in a campfire light searchin for the ghost of tom joad he pulls his prayer book out of a sleepin bag the preacher lights up a bud 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 city s aqueducts  and the highway is alive tonight nobody s foolin nobody as to where it goes i m sittin down here in the campfire light with the ghost of old tom joad now tom said ma whenever ya see a cop beatin a guy wherever a hungry newborn baby cries wherever there s a fight against blood and hatred in the air look for me ma i ll be there wherever somebody s strugglin 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 as to where it goes i m sittin down here in the campfire light with the ghost of tom joad1