The Thunder Rolls
Brooks Jefferson Lyrics
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Not a soul insight
The city's lookin' like a ghost town
On a moonless summer night
Raindrops on the windshield
There's a storm moving in
He's headin' back from somewhere
That he never should have been
And the thunder rolls
Every light is burnin'
In a house across town
She's pacin' by the telephone
In her faded flannel gown
Askin' for miracle
Hopin' she's not right
Prayin' it's the weather
That has kept him out all night
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls
The thunder rolls
And the lightnin' strikes
Another love grows cold
On a sleepless night
As the storm blows on
Out of control
Deep in her heart
The thunder rolls
She's waitin' by the window
When he pulls into the drive
She rushes out to hold him
Thankful he's alive
But on the wind and the rain
A strange new perfume blows
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes
And he knows that she knows
And the thunder rolls
And the thunder rolls
The thunder rolls
And the lightnin' strikes
Another love grows cold
On a sleepless night
As the storm blows on
Out of control
Deep in her heart
The thunder rolls
She runs back down the hallway
To the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol
Kept in the dresser drawer
Tells the lady in the mirror,
"He won't do this again"
Cause tonight will be the last time
She'll wonder where he's been
Brooks Jefferson's "The Thunder Rolls" is a song about a troubled couple. The opening verse sets the scene for a stormy night with the singer driving back from somewhere he should not have been. As thunder rolls, another verse reveals that the man's partner is pacing anxiously at home, constantly checking the phone, hoping he's okay. She knows in her heart that something is amiss and that the storm outside might not be the only reason for his extended absence.
As the song progresses, the couple reunites when the man returns home, and his partner rushes out to hold him close, relieved that he is safe. However, a strange new scent on the stormy wind and some lightning striking awaken a suspicion in his partner's heart, and she confronts the man about his infidelity. The song ends with the woman resolving to end things with the man, making it clear that she won't keep wondering where he has been.
Overall, the song is a reflection of a heartbreakingly common reality. It captures the moment when the falsehood of someone's fidelity is laid bare, along with the intense emotions that come with it. The thunder and lightning provide a perfect metaphor for the chaos that this can cause in a person's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Three thirty in the morning
It is a very late hour in the night
Not a soul insight
There is no one in sight in the surroundings
The city's lookin' like a ghost town
The city is deserted and lifeless
On a moonless summer night
It's a summer night with no moon in the sky
Raindrops on the windshield
The windshield of the car has raindrops on it
There's a storm moving in
There is a storm approaching
He's headin' back from somewhere
He is coming back from a place he went to
That he never should have been
He shouldn't have gone to that place in the first place
And the thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can be heard
And the thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
Every light is burnin'
All the lights in a house are on
In a house across town
The house is in another part of town
She's pacin' by the telephone
She is walking back and forth near the telephone
In her faded flannel gown
She's wearing a worn-out flannel gown
Askin' for miracle
She's praying for a miracle
Hopin' she's not right
She's hoping that she's wrong about her suspicion
Prayin' it's the weather
She's hoping that the reason for his delay is the stormy weather
That has kept him out all night
The storm has kept him from coming back all night
And the thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
And the thunder rolls
The thunder is still going on
The thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
And the lightnin' strikes
Lightning is flashing
Another love grows cold
Another love relationship is falling apart
On a sleepless night
It's a night when one cannot sleep
As the storm blows on
The storm continues to rage
Out of control
The situation is not in anyone's control
Deep in her heart
In her innermost thoughts and feelings
The thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
She's waitin' by the window
She's standing by the window, waiting for him
When he pulls into the drive
When he arrives in the driveway
She rushes out to hold him
She runs out to embrace him
Thankful he's alive
She's grateful that he is safe
But on the wind and the rain
Amidst the wind and rain
A strange new perfume blows
A new, unfamiliar fragrance is in the air
And the lightnin' flashes in her eyes
Lightning is flashing in her eyes
And he knows that she knows
He realizes that she is aware of something
And the thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
And the thunder rolls
The thunder continues unabated
The thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
And the lightnin' strikes
Lightning strikes again
Another love grows cold
Another love relationship is ending
On a sleepless night
It's a night when one cannot sleep
As the storm blows on
The storm continues to rage
Out of control
The situation is not under anyone's control
Deep in her heart
In her innermost thoughts and feelings
The thunder rolls
The sound of thunder can still be heard
She runs back down the hallway
She runs down the hallway
To the bedroom door
She goes to the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol
She gets the pistol
Kept in the dresser drawer
It's kept in the drawer of the dresser
Tells the lady in the mirror,
She talks to herself in front of the mirror
"He won't do this again"
She says that he won't repeat this action
Cause tonight will be the last time
This will be the last time
She'll wonder where he's been
She will not have to worry anymore about where he has gone
Writer(s): GARTH BROOKS, PATRICK ALGER
Contributed by Adam Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.