| D | Bm | |
| It's a | mighty hard row that my poor hands have | hoed |
| D | |
| My | poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road, |
| Out of the dust bowl and westward we rolled, |
| Bm | |
| And your deserts are hot and your mountains they're | cold |
| I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes, |
| And I slept on the ground 'neath the light of the moon; |
| I picked in your cotton, cut grapes from your vine, |
| And I set on your table your light sparkling wine. |
| We travel with the wind and the rain in our face, |
| Our families migrating from place unto place; |
| We'll work in your beet fields 'til sundown tonight, |
| Travel 300 miles 'fore the mornin' gets light |
| Arizona, California, we'll make all your crops, |
| It's northward to Oregon to gather your hops; |
| Strawberries, cherries, and apples the best, |
| In that sunshiny land call'd the Pacific Northwest. |
| It takes home loving mothers and strong hearted men; |
| Every state in this union us migrants has been; |
| 'Long the edge of your cities you'll see us, and then, |
| We've come with the dust and we're gone in the wind. |
| I picked up a rich clod of dirt in my hand, |
| I crumble it back into strong fertile land; |
| The greatest desire in this world that I know |
| Is to work on my land where there's green things to grow. |
| I think of the dust and the days that are gone, |
| And the day that's to come on a farm of our own; |
| One turn of the wheel and the waters will flow |
| 'Cross the green growing field, down the hot thirsty row. |
| Look down in the canyon and there you will see |
| The Grand Coulee showers her blessings on me; |
| The light for the city for factory and mill, |
| Green pastures of plenty from dry, barren hills. |
| It's always we've rambled, that river and I, |
| It's here on her banks and I'll work till I die, |
| My land I'll defend with my life if need be; |
| 'Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free! |
| I've wandered all over your green growing land, |
| Where ever your crops are I've lent you my hand, |
| On the edge of your cities you'll see me and then, |
| I come with the dust and I've gone with the wind. |
| Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground |
| From the Grand Coulee dam where the waters run down, |
| Every state of this union us migrants have been, |
| We come with the dust and we're gone with the wind. |
| -David Fleming (dave@eng.umd.eud) |