Bruce Springsteen - The Ghost of Tom Joad: Ukulele Chords

Learn to play "The Ghost of Tom Joad" on your ukulele with our detailed chord guide and lyrics. This page provides everything you need to play this song on the ukulele, including lyrics integrated with chords, chord diagrams, and a key transposer to match your vocal range.

Learn The Ghost of Tom Joad ukulele chords and lyrics

This section will guide you through each part of the song, providing the ukulele chords placed directly above the lyrics for easy playing. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, these elements will help you perform "The Ghost of Tom Joad" smoothly on your ukulele.

Am
Man walkin‘ long the railroad tracks
 C                                 G
Goin‘ some place there’s no going back
Highway patrol choppers comin‘ up over the ridge
     Am
Hot soup on a campfire under the bridge

Shelter line stretching around the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Families sleeping in the cars in the southwest
No home, no job, no peace, no rest

Chorus:
F
The highway is alive tonight
              C                     G       Am
But nobody’s kiddin‘ nobody about where it goes
G
I’m sittin‘ down here in the campfire light
Am
Searchin‘ 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 beneath 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's aqueduct

Chorus:
Well 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

Now 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

Wherever somebody's 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, Ma, and you'll see me"

Chorus:
Well 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

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Ukulele Chord Diagrams

Am

Ukulele chord Am

B

Ukulele chord B

C

Ukulele chord C

F

Ukulele chord F

G

Ukulele chord G

Here you can see detailed diagrams for each ukulele chord used in the song. Utilize our key transposer to adjust the chords to a key that better fits your singing range. Simply select the desired key, and the chords throughout this page will update automatically, ensuring you can play and sing comfortably.

If you are also interested in learning how to play "The Ghost of Tom Joad" on the guitar, check out the chords on our sister site: Guitar Chords for "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen Song List