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Thunder Road Lyrics

Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Album: Born To Run

The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey, that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
Oh, and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks

Oh oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken

There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines rolling on
But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
So Mary, climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win

Comments/Interpretations

by Sharon Sikkema on 6/24/2008 9:24am
One of the greatest . . . Both Springsteen and Thunder Road. It was so moving when he sang it for Tim Russert at his memorial service. They just don't make music like this anymore.
by Frode Smith, Oslo on 7/10/2008 3:56pm
Suddenly I learn me the lyrics to this great song!!
by paolo on 7/19/2008 4:52pm
simply wonderful
by matt on 7/23/2008 9:28pm
wonderful song, they really don't make music like this anymore.
by Sara on 9/2/2008 9:44pm
Simply Awesome!!!!
by Jazz on 9/6/2008 7:54pm
I'm 16 but...
<3
by brenna on 9/8/2008 9:33am
this is my dad's favorite song. i was just listening to it with him yesterday and it turned into the most poignant moment for us. does anyone know where i can find a "thunder road"? it can be a side street in downtown chicago or main street in the smallest town in mississippi but i want to take him to a thunder road. can someone help?
by Greg on 9/12/2008 8:16pm
one of the most poetic songs ever written
by Victor Owens on 10/4/2008 3:17am
The line towards the last should be "you hear their engines roaring on", not "rolling on."
by cat on 10/16/2008 4:19pm
he plays it for anyone who dies that liked him.
by preston on 10/27/2008 1:49am
a true poet. What happened to this kind of honesty in music? One band out there has this heart and they are springsteen fans, check out against me! They write great lyrics.
by johnny c on 11/7/2008 7:41am
the great american love song, on the road song, and "our song"....just sent the 85 paris u tube version to my girlfriend...
by Earthwalker on 12/4/2008 12:45am
Hey Brenna -

I used to deliver packages for FedEx on Thunder Road, which is on the outskirts of Jacksonville, Florida. If you e-mail me at Earthwalker4444 at hotmail.com, I'll find out exactly where it is and let you know. Not sure if it's Jax, Green Cove Springs or Penney Farms, but I can find out....
by johnnyk on 1/16/2009 8:06pm
The quintessetial Springsteen tune with the setting, the characters and the build to a fantastic sax finish by the Big Man. Though I appreciate Bruce's growth as a songwriter, he will always be at his finest when he's painting a picture of being young on the streets and shoreline of New Jersey.
by erinc on 1/24/2009 5:06am
this is the song that makes me say " wish i could blow the ceiling"

big boss, love you..
by from Tenth Avenue on 1/29/2009 11:28am
Hey Brenna,

One of my all-time favorite epic recordings. Go to Google maps and type Thunder Road. It must have been great for you and your dad to connect through music. Good luck.
by Matt on 2/5/2009 1:05pm
What a song ...

Truly 'The Boss'
by Lars from Denmark.... 7000 on 2/25/2009 7:30am
I have loved this song since i was 13years...

Im 20 now :D
by rain007 on 3/6/2009 7:29pm
love you lots, seen you in the 80's have not able to see you since then of the days of "born in the USA" days. Still see you on the net. Lucky for me!!!!Thanks Bruce and co!!!
by CanadianSoldier34 on 3/24/2009 6:17pm
"Marys dress sways" and "I'm no hero, thats understood" minor corrections. Greatest song of all time for sure!!!!
by Barb on 6/17/2009 1:31pm
One of the best contemporary songs ever written. I can feel the despair and longing for a better life in every lrics!
Best performance of this song: Bruce Springsteen and Melissa Etheridge, Melissa Etherige Unplugged MTV Special 1995
by Jani Tiikainen, sydney,AUS on 6/21/2009 6:12am
just look on youtube,thunderroad, hammersmithth odeon '76, just so unreal, his voice for that song its so much better than today!!!
by Mars on 7/12/2009 12:38pm
Music just aint this good anymore. cant wait to see him on tuesday. this song gives me shivers. he truly is the boss
by CadillacMike on 9/15/2009 4:48am
This is a reat song, makes me want to get back home, take my wife out in our blue DeVille convertible and just drive & drive. In a few months i should be back home to do just that!
by Dave on 11/4/2009 4:50am
I agree with Barb 6/17/2009 1:31pm

Bruce and Missy's version of the song is absolutely brilliant. It's raggy, live and wonderful.
by CCC on 12/20/2009 9:12pm
CCC, This is our song, AND I <3 U !
by DV on 3/21/2010 11:42pm
Listening live version on Spotify... 15 years later. You know the feeling when you are "on the edge of tears"?
What a song.
by 69pontiac on 9/8/2010 9:59pm
you can see and feel the warm summer evening and the asphalt road leading to look out point. No song I know matches the imagery and emotion that I felt when I was 16 driving my 69 pontiac. Only Don Henley's boys of summer comes close.
by JESVS on 9/24/2010 10:28pm
esa cancion es pvro philing al es cvchar esa canion de bruce se me viene recuerdos gratos y duraderos k me pongo a llorar de nostalgia
by Patrik_Swede on 10/16/2010 7:08pm
@DV: I hear you....I have the exact same feeling!!! Music like this can never be made again!
by MT on 10/18/2010 4:10pm
simply poetry
by @jb on 10/29/2010 6:28am
superb is the only word to describe this song..and most of his stuff. Lyrics like this are so very rare
by bo wonder on 12/20/2010 6:24pm
thought I learned the lyrics in 1981...long for rocl with drive and emotion like this
by Bob Jones on 2/17/2011 7:18am
This song is so amazing, rock and roll beats rap any day!
by Damian Bray on 5/23/2011 11:09am
Sometimes when I listen to this song (and depending if I'm alone)my eyes fill up and I dont know exactly why. It speaks to me and puts the hair up on the back of my neck. Cant believe though that he got away with "You aint a beauty but hey youre alright. Must try that on the wife....
by brucebaby on 6/5/2011 10:30pm
i gotta say this might be one of my favorite bruce songs. the beginning up to "you aint a beauty but hey youre alright" always gets me teary eyed. my dads a huge bruce fan and whenever i hear one of his songs it reminds me of how much i love my dad. thank you bruce for blessing the world with your talent and bringing a greater meaning to the power of music to my life. the boss is forever in my heart<3
by Rick on 6/20/2011 9:15pm
what a song
by Enrique on 7/8/2011 5:23pm
La escucho sobre todo en las versiones lentas y su audición me emociona hasta el infinito. He visto a Bruce en directo en Madrid (España) en un concierto mítico en el Estadio Vicente Calderón (el estadio del glorioso Atlético de Madrid) y aunque ha llovido mucho desde entonces ese concierto lo tengo grabado a fuego en mi corazón. ¡Viva el Boss!
by Jesse on 7/9/2011 5:03pm
I heard this song for the first time about a month ago. I can't and don't want to listen to anything else now. Bruce's honesty comes thru in a big way, straight to the soul. thanks for the gift Mr. Springsteen.
by Theo on 8/2/2011 7:07pm
The best song Bruce ever made. I'ts pure and out of the heart.
Fantastic. I love it
by nick on 8/8/2011 6:03pm
love this long
by kenz on 9/15/2011 8:33pm
so i have goosebumps.... and tears in my eyes.... nbd.
by AF on 9/22/2011 5:56am
Simply magic - almost brings a tear to my eye everytime I hear it live!
by Doctawho on 10/21/2011 9:13am
Live in Barcelona creates the suspense this song deserves!!

chills, tears, it creates every emotion, what a song!!
by Estreetman on 1/5/2012 5:30pm
This song has been with me for the best part of my life , Brings back so many good memories everytime I hear it , Thanks Bruce
by alan .. England (now thailand) on 1/30/2012 12:40am
I saw bruce play an acoustic version live.. years ago (milton keynes?) and it brought tears to my eyes then, and still does. I play guitar, but cant finish playing and singing this song without tearing up! And i thought it was just me being a soft sh*t! Lol. Im 56 now, and love many kinds of music, but bruce is simply one of the best poetic/ story writers ever. RIP the big guy.. Clarence live was a key partner to the boss when on stage.. playing off each other... i feel lucky to have seen them live 5 times! Peace to all - alan
by Love on 2/2/2012 1:32am
who the f***kng can write like this song he's a true artist and talent legengdary BRUCE....!!!
by someone_who_knows on 2/21/2012 3:12pm
It's hard to find a better songwriter than Springsteen, and this song proves it; however, if we're talking lyrics, Max Bemis of Say Anything gives Springsteen a run for the money. I highly recommend you check him out.
by speedylee on 3/7/2012 12:58am
There is a race track in Vermont named Thunder Road International Speed Bowl, a classic American short track. Best short track, bar none, on the planet. I think of that particular Thunder Road when I hear this song and I long to get gack there again.
by Pachistima on 4/19/2012 4:58pm
Bruce Springsteen is a great singer, songwriter, and rock musician - man I want to go back to the 80s.
by Mary on 4/25/2012 6:45am
Lo.oking forward to seeing Bruce at the New Orleans Jazz Fest on Sunday.I hope he plays Thunder Road for Shannon.See you in NOLa Shannon!
by keith, scotland ex wales. on 5/17/2012 6:43pm
springsteen. thunder road. do i need to say more.
by minerva on 7/11/2012 9:11am
This is definitely one the bests songs ever. He's THE BOSS.
by marco on 8/7/2012 5:22am
nothing better... back of 20 years
by KL on 9/3/2012 7:45pm
The thing about this love song is Thunder Road can be anywhere. It is about two people who love each other as is "you ain't a beauty but hey your alright". I absolutely love this song, my wife and I played this as as our wedding song in 94. We did blow out of there to win. We have two girls who are just starting to get Bruce and how he tells a story backed with explosive rock n roll behind it or the silence of 80,000 fan's behind a song like American Skin(41 Shot's), which still brings tears to my eyes when Bruce defiantly plays an incredible version in Madison Square Garden despite a threat at the time that ny finest would walk off the job at his shows in ny. Sorry, I got off on a Tangent. If you are a lyric reader then read the liner notes/lyrics of every song on the Rising... KL
by Alan on 10/29/2012 11:21pm
Its me and the wife just how it was and still is and still on two wheels after all these years
by sunit sharma on 11/22/2012 4:53am
Love this song...
by Larry from the Jersey shore on 2/23/2013 5:04am
Remember seeing Bruce at The Main Point in Bryn Mawr. The first time I played Greetings from Asbury Park, I just played it over and over again. Now I'm 61, Clarence is gone, but I feel so lucky to have loved Bruce 's music for 40 years. It never gets old. Others come and go, but The Boss's music will live on for generations to come.
by Pauline on 3/26/2013 12:58am
Just saw Bruce for two concerts in Sydney ,Australia this week, the man is legendary. I dont want to ever let go of the way he makes me feel when I listen to his outstanding list of songs written with such soul and depth.As for Thunder Road, it is superbly one of the best songs ever written, gets you right in the heart. A very early vesion of Thunder Road played live in Hammersmith , Odeon 75" i think it was...just look for it on U tube. BELIEVE ME....TURN THE VOLUME RIGHT UP, CLOSE YOUR EYES, and if you are not moved to tears or have a lump in your throat il be surprised..the lyrics resignate with sooooo many people...I LOVE , LOVE LOVE IT :)
by urooj from pakistan on 5/13/2013 12:26pm
what a melody by boss. its reminds me my school days back in 80s when i listen this song.
by kasty667 on 5/14/2013 12:20am
Amazing lyrics amazing song, thanks boss
by Sandi on 10/5/2013 6:50am
I have listened to Bruce since I was eighteen. I'm nearly fifty and my favourite Saturday nights is watching Bruce's DVD with my sixteen year old daughter who thinks he is the best. We have been to two concerts and going again in Feb 2014. Can't wait. Can't imagine my life without his music in it.
by Grace on 1/9/2014 12:58pm
Amazing, love that song. They don't make music like that anymore. BRUUUUUUUCE!
by Gretchen on 4/12/2014 1:37pm
didn't understand the desperation I was living in until I heard his lyrics.
by K on 6/14/2014 7:31am
I miss my sister.
by Bob Bernardi on 7/17/2014 5:15am
I first heard this song in the fall of 1975 while in college. I loved it then and when I first heard the acoustic version it became my theme song. The song has so much meaning for me and when it is all said and done for me, I pray that I can be hearing this beautiful song and though tears may be falling I would hope smiles will soon follow.
by July on 4/15/2015 5:28am
"It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win" Epic rock sentence.








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