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
The Swiss Family Robinson name the family "Robinson", it is not a Swiss name. The German title translates as "The Swiss Robinson" which identifies the novel as part of the Robinsonade genre, rather than a story about a family named Robinson. The novel opens with the family in the hold of a sailing ship, weathering a great storm. The ship's passengers evacuate without them, and William and Elizabeth and their four children (Fritz, Ernest, Jack and Francis) are left to survive alone. As the ship tosses about, the father – William – prays that God will spare them. The ship survives the night and