Man walking down the railroad track
He's going some place
and there's no going back
Highway patrol chopper
coming up over the ridge
Hot soup on a campfire
under the bridge
Shelter lines stretching
around the corner
Welcome to the new world order
Family sleeping in the cars
in the south -west
But no home, no job, no peace, no rest
The highway is alive tonight
Where it's headed everybody knows
Sittin' down here in the campfire light
Waitin' on the ghost of old Tom Joe
He takes a prayer book out
of his sleepin' bag
The preacher lights up a bud
and he takes a drag
He's waitin' for the last shall be first
and the first shall be last
In the 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 aqueduct
The highway is alive tonight
Where it's headed everybody knows
Sitting down here in the
campfire light
Waiting on the ghost of old Tom
Joe
Tom says, Ma,
wherever there's a cop
beatin' the guy
Where a hungry newborn baby cries
A fight against the blood hatred in the air
Well, just look for me, and I'll be there
If there's somebody fighting
for a place to stand
Or a decent job or a helping hand
If there's someone struggling to be free
Just look in their eyes,
Ma, and you'll see
The highway is alive tonight
Where it's headed everybody knows
Sitting down here in the campfire light
With the ghost of old Tom Jones
You