Thunder Road
Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Tortoise Lyrics

The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Mary is leaving and the screen door shuts behind her

Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Mary looks beautiful in her dress as she dances to the radio

Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Roy Orbison's music makes Mary feel less lonely

Hey, that's me and I want you only
The singer identifies with the loneliness in the song and wants Mary to be with him

Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
The singer urges Mary not to leave him because he can't bear to be alone

Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
The singer promises to be there for Mary and tells her not to retreat into her shell

So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
The singer acknowledges that they're older now and Mary may be afraid to take a chance

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
The singer encourages Mary to believe in the power of the night to bring them together

You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
The singer tells Mary she's not perfect, but he likes her anyway

Oh, and that's alright with me
The singer is content to take Mary as she is

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
The singer warns Mary not to hide from her problems

Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
The singer tells Mary not to dwell on past loves

Waste your summer praying in vain
The singer urges Mary not to waste her time on futile efforts

For a savior to rise from these streets
The singer comments on the hopeless situation they find themselves in

Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
The singer admits he's not a savior or a hero

All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
The singer offers Mary redemption and hope through his love

With a chance to make it good somehow
The singer sees a glimmer of hope for their future together

Hey, what else can we do now?
The singer asks Mary what other options they have besides taking a chance on love

Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
The singer asks Mary to enjoy the moment and let go of her worries

Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
The singer believes they can go anywhere and do anything they want in the night

We got one last chance to make it real
The singer feels they have one chance to make their love last

To trade in these wings on some wheels
The singer compares their romantic dreams to the need for practical transportation

Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks
The singer invites Mary to join him on the journey to their future

Oh oh, come take my hand
The singer asks Mary to take his hand and join him on their adventure

We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
The singer is excited to venture out and explore their destiny together

Lying out there like a killer in the sun
The future is full of potential and possibility

Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
The singer is worried they may be running out of time, but he is determined to succeed

Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
The singer encourages Mary to hold on tight for the ride of their lives

Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
The singer is proud of his musical talent

And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
The singer is offering Mary a ride in his car

From your front porch to my front seat
The singer is inviting Mary to leave her old life behind and start a new one with him

The door's open but the ride ain't free
The singer wants Mary to know there will be challenges and costs if she chooses to go with him

And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
The singer understands that Mary may feel neglected and wants to make up for it

But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken
The singer promises Mary freedom and adventure, and to break all his previous promises

There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
The singer knows that Mary has rejected other suitors in the past

They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
The singer imagines those previous suitors as ghostly apparitions

They scream your name at night in the street
The previous suitors still long for Mary and call out to her in their dreams

Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
The singer imagines Mary's past education and social status as being left behind with her previous suitors

And in the lonely cool before dawn
The singer describes the melancholic moment before the dawn when everything is still and quiet

You hear their engines rolling on
The singer imagines hearing the previous suitors' engines revving

But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
The ghosts disappear when Mary returns to her home

So Mary, climb in
The singer urges Mary to leave behind her past and start anew with him

It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win
The singer sees his hometown as a place full of unfulfilled dreams and wants to escape to make his own path