Studio Album · No. 11
The Ghost of Tom Joad Songwriting Credits by Bruce Springsteen
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin · Engineered by Toby Scott, Greg Goldman
Holds writing credit on 12 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 12 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bruce Springsteen carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 1
Springsteen wrote every song here, returning to the spare, mostly acoustic mode he first explored on Nebraska. The record draws heavily on John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Dale Maharidge and Michael Williamson's reporting on the working poor, building character studies of migrant workers, ex-convicts, and border crossers. Its quiet, narrative-driven songs marked a deliberate turn away from the arena sound of his band records toward intimate storytelling.
The Ghost of Tom Joad is Bruce Springsteen's eleventh studio album, released on November 21, 1995. A return to the stark acoustic approach of Nebraska, it was produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. Inspired by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and journalist Dale Maharidge's Journey to Nowhere, the album chronicles the lives of migrants, farmworkers, and displaced Americans in the Southwest. It won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. All twelve tracks were written solely by Springsteen.