Dust in my bowl for breakfast
The end of my dreams for lunch
Despair on my plate
And for dinner I ate
Grapes of wrath
Downed them all bunch by bunch
We picked peaches for a nickel a bucket
Not enough to keep us alive
And in that Hooverville camp
By the river she sat
There my mama she laid down and died
O I’m leaving down Route 66
I’m leaving down Route 66
Down Route 66
I’m prayin’ she’ll be
A glory road to me
The babies they’s cold and they’s hungry
The wife cries she wants to go back
But there ain’t no back to go back to
The banks and the dozers made damn sure of that
O I’m leaving down Route 66
I’m leaving down Route 66
Down Route 66
I’m prayin’ she’ll be
A glory road for me
A man he can think about heaven
Imagine a life there so sweet
But for now he must pray
“Lord provide me a way
So my children have something to eat”
And it’s onward to rich California
With a prayer and our heads still held high
And the hope in that land
I’ll be a prosperous man
Build my family a home ‘fore I die
O I’m leaving down Route 66
I’m leaving down Route 66
With my bowl full of dust
It’s California or bust
Guessin’ down the road I’ll see
If she’s a glory road to me
Oooh…