A little ditty I just finished, love to do it acapella three part harmony with just a cowbell and sticks but it's fun doing it grass or rockabilly too. See Rock City Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn They gonna paint it red, it’ll be real pretty Have big white letters that say “See Rock City” Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn. The kids are grown and they all got good jobs The kids are grown and they all got good jobs They’re on their own and doing fine They visit Momma when they find the time And Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn! Momma’s fixin greens and cornbread My baby’s cooking keeps me fed Momma’s fixing greens for me With ham-hocks and a glass of sweet tea And Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn. Got a good milk cow and some laying hens Got a garden out back and pig in the pen Got a creek and time to catch some fish Momma can cook and she’s still a Hot Dish! And Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn. Now I ain’t never been to Rock City But I'll bet them rocks are mighty pretty, Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn And we got almost everything we need And the rest of our time is for you and me And Rock City’s gonna paint my new barn. Bruce Springsteen ripped off Woodie Guthrie's 1940 song, The Ballad of Tom Joad and recorded it then Rage Against the Machine Covered it. It was sad tale from the depression anbout how life really was and it made me want to write a bit happier tune. TOM JOAD (Woody Guthrie) Tom Joad got out of the old McAlester Pen There he got his parole After four long years on a man killing charge Tom Joad come a walking down the road, poor boy Tom Joad come a walking down the road Tom Joad he met a truck driving man There he caught him a ride He said: "I just got loose from McAlester's Pen On a charge called Homicide, A charge called Homicide." That truck rolled away in a cloud of dust, Tommy turned his face toward home, He met Preacher Casey and they had a little drink, But they found that his family they was gone, He found that his family they was gone. He found his mother's old fashion shoe Found his daddy's hat. And he found little Muley and Muley said: "They've been tractored out by the cats, They've been tractored out by the cats." Tom Joad walked down to the neighbors farm Found his family. They took Preacher Casey and loaded in a car And his mother said "We got to git away." His mother said 'We got to get away." Now the twelve of the Joads made a mighty heavy load But Grandpa Joad did cry. He picked up a handful of land in his hand Said: "I'm stayin' with the farm till I die. Yes, I'm stayin' with my farm till I die." They fed him short ribs and coffee and soothing syrup And Grandpa Joad did die. They buried Grandpa Joad by the side of the road, Buried Grandma on the California side, They 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 running through, There was work for every single hand, they Thought, There was work for every single hand. The Joads rolled away to Jungle Camp, There they cooked a stew. And the hungry little kids of the Jungle Camp Said: "We'd like to Have some too." Said: "We'd like to have some too." Now a Deputy Sheriff fired loose at a man Shot a woman in the back. Before he could take his aim again Preacher Casey dropped him in his track. Preacher Casey dropped him in his track. They handcuffed Casey and they took him to Jail And then he got away. And he met Tom Joad on the old river bridge, And these few words he did say, poor boy, These few words he did say. "I preached for the Lord a mighty long time Preached about the rich and the poor. Us workin' folks got to all get together, Cause we ain't got a chance anymore. We ain't got a chance anymore." The Deputies come and Tom and Casey run To the bridge where the water run down. But the vigilante they hit Casey with a club, They laid Preacher Casey on the ground. They laid Preacher Casey on the ground. Tom Joad he grabbed that Deputy's club Hit him over the head. Tom Joad took flight in the dark rainy night A Deputy and a Preacher lying dead, two men, A Deputy and a Preacher lying dead. Tom run back where his mother was asleep He woke her up out of bed. Then he kissed goodbye to the mother that he loved Said what Preacher Casey said, Tom Joad, He said what Preacher Casey said. "Ever'body might be just one big soul Well it looks that a way to me. Everywhere that you look in the day or night That's where I'm gonna be, Ma, That's where I'm gonna be. Wherever little children are hungry and cry Wherever people ain't free. Wherever men are fightin' for their rights That's where I'm gonna be, Ma. That's where I'm a gonna be. THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD Men walking 'long the railroad tracks Going someplace and there's no going back Highway patrol choppers coming up over the ridge Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge Shelter line stretching 'round the corner Welcome to the new world order Families sleeping in their cars in the southwest No home, no job, no peace, no rest Well the highway is alive tonight But nobody's kidding nobody about where it goes I'm sitting down here in the campfire light Searching for the ghost of Tom Joad He pulls a prayer book out of his sleeping bag Preacher lights up a butt and he takes a drag Waiting for when the last shall be first and the first shall be last In a cardboard box 'neath the underpass You 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 Bathing in the city aqueduct And the highway is alive tonight Where it's headed everybody knows I'm sitting down here in the campfire light Waiting on the ghost of Tom Joad Tom said, "Mom, wherever there's a cop beating a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there's a fight against the blood and hatred in the air Look for me, Mom, I'll be there Where there's somebody fighting for a place to stand Or a decent job or a helping hand Wherever somebody's struggling to be free Look in their eyes, Mom, you'll see me" The highway is alive tonight But nobody's kidding nobody about where it goes I'm sitting down here in the campfire light With the ghost of old Tom Joad
