The Ghost of Tom Joad guitar work and the lyrics on many of the tracks are a somber reflection of life in the mid-1990s in America and Mexico. The character of Tom Joad entered the American consciousness in John Steinbeck’s 1939 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Grapes of Wrath", set against the economic hardships of the Great Depression. This spawned a film version starring Henry Fonda, which in turn inspired folk singer Woody Guthrie to pen "The Ballad of Tom Joad". The album's release was followed by Springsteen's solo acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, which ran from 1995 to 1997 and consisted of mostly small
Entertainment during the Great Depression Entertainment during the Great Depression During the 1930s the United States was facing its longest and deepest economic downturn, the Great Depression. Spending money on entertainment was out of the question for most people. The United States put the nation back to work, including artists and entertainers in its assistance programs. The entertainers, in turn, provided cheap or free amusements for people, which allowed them to forget about their troubles for a while. Many films still highly cherished today were created during the 1920s. During that period, Walt Disney, the pioneer animator, produced films Americans loved to see. One of