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…