Thunder Road
Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Tortoise Lyrics
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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
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
In the opening verse of Thunder Road, Mary is described by the singer “like a vision she dances across the porch.” The song describes the beginning of an adventure, of hitting the road to escape the monotony of everyday life. The pair shares a brief moment of tenderness, as they both recognize their fear of growing old and how the experience never feels as it did when they were young. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges the futility of dwelling in the past and tells Mary that “The magic’s in the night,” as they set off for the open road. By the end of the song, the two are driving down Thunder Road, joining the other people who seek freedom, who are “losers” that pull out of town to win something more.
Line by Line Meaning
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
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
THE NIGHT PARTY
Epic. I really love this cover. What a great adaption, the proggy intro and outro motifs are just splendid. The synth solo pushing at the end is full Ashes Bowie.
Noel Johnson
Each time I play this I am compelled to comment that it is a work of pure genius...
Colin V
You only listen to this song every few months? ;)
verajune
The melancholy tone of this cover makes way more sense with the lyrics than Bruce's upbeat guitar on the original. Definitely the best, and most effective, cover song ever done.
kanye guisada
I remember playing this when I did college radio and getting a phone call by somebody who didn't catch my intro and was listening nonchalantly while working but was a huge Springsteen fan and had to know who did this cover because he said it was maybe better than the original and he was blown away.
This whole album rules and is an under-looked indie classic.
Paul Little
No, not really. The uplifting quality of the original is essential to the song's raison d'etre. If you don't understand that, then you simply don't understand the song. It's a song about breaking free and getting out. It's not sad, it's not melancholy. It's fucking triumphant.
WF
@Paul Little If you think there is isn't an element of melancholy to the original song, you've never lived in New Jersey.
matheus furlan
i don't think you understand thunder road
Jo
i’m gonna argue that, while the lyrics are kind of melancholy, like a lot of bruce’s music, the original is more about accepting the melancholy and keeping hope anyway. glory days, for example, is a sad song in some ways bc it’s about nostalgia and missing your youth, but it’s happy too, bc bruce is saying “we can relive it all through memories, and we can try to make the best of now”. with thunder road, he’s hoping to break free and become something big, but for now being something big is the same feeling as tearing through the streets with the girl you love. the lines “so you’re scared and you’re thinking maybe you’re not 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” encompasses this. no, we’re no where we want to be, but we have each other and we’ll get there someday.
it’s a neat cover, don’t get me wrong, i just appreciate the way that a lot of bruce’s music is hopeful and about putting up a fight despite hardships. i think that’s what’s made him so iconic.
Akın Koç
i listened first in 2012. It's been 10 years and it's still the best. i miss that sound