Song Analysis: The Ghost of Tom Joad

In life people are faced with challenges, struggles, and unfortunate situations everyday. It could range from the death of a new born, trying to survive in an unstable family, a murder of a loved one, or even not knowing where you will sleep each night. Although everyone may have a different struggle, they all have one thing in common that keeps them going: faith. Musicians often corroborate these life shattering situations into their songs, which make their listeners aware and recognize the struggle some face. Bruce Springsteen’s song, The Ghost of Tom Joad, identifies struggles many Americans encounter, and the importance of keeping faith through these tough times.

In the first stanza, Springsteen illustrates how many Americans are forced to live their lives due to what ever reason. For example, “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” (4-8). Thousands of individuals are trying to figure out how to get by in today’s world, resulting in many having to go to desperate measures. More and more people are becoming homeless, starving, and often not feeling safe at all. In the third stanza Bruce portrays the struggle immigrants undergo on their journey to finding a better life. For instance, “Got a one-way ticket to the promised land, you got a hole in your belly and gun in your hand, sleeping on a pillow of solid rock, bathin' in the city aqueduct”(17-20). Although what these individuals are going through from being hungry, to sleeping on rocks, to bathing in a canal, they still continue plugging along in hopes that the promise land will provide them with better opportunities, and a life that they could only dream of. No matter how tough life gets these people never give up, even when they are at their worst. They just keep, “Searchin' for the ghost of Tom Joad” (12). Alluding to the hero in John Steinbeck's 'Grapes of Wrath', meaning that they keep faith, and keep searching and wishing that things will get better, and that keeps them going. For example, “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” (25-28). All these individuals have taken everything life has thrown at them, but through it all they still have faith and believe that it can’t get any worse, and they hope to see a day when they won’t have to struggle and fight anymore.

In conclusion, life is unpredictable and you could be rich one day and dirt poor the next. However, the individuals’ stories in Bruce Springsteen’s song, The Ghost of Tom Joad, illustrate the refusal to accept life’s cruelest ‘fates’, and the determination to remain faithful in hopes that that their fate may change. Bruce Springsteen did a phenomenal job of illustrating life’s challenges by creating a merciless atmosphere through his lyrics and melody, which conveys life's challenges and struggles that many are unaware of.


The Ghost of Tom Joad Lyrics (click here)