Thunder Road
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics


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A screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
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'm 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 down on the tracks

Oh-oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
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, 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
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
On 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 roaring on
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

Overall Meaning

The opening verse of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's "Thunder Road" sets the tone for the entire song. A screen door slams, and Mary's dress waves across the porch as she dances to a Roy Orbison song on the radio. The singer speaks to Mary directly, telling her not to turn him away but to show a bit of faith that there's magic in the night. The two have been together before, but they're older now and perhaps wiser. Springsteen sings about the concept of redemption, and how he can offer Mary only what's underneath his dirty hood. The singer suggests that now's the moment for the two of them to leave their mundane small town in their rearview mirror and escape into the wilderness, delivering a sense of hope and desire for a better life for the two of them.


The song's central message is about how fleeting life is, and how important it is to take the chance to make your dreams a reality. The song is essentially about hope, especially in the face of hopelessness, and about finding a way to reinvent yourself while rising above your current station in life. It's a powerful message that has proven timeless, and it's what makes "Thunder Road" such an enduring classic.


Line by Line Meaning

A screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Mary walks out of her house and the force of the door closing makes her dress wave.


Like a vision she dances across the porch
She's so beautiful and graceful she looks dreamlike as she walks across the porch.


As the radio plays
Music is playing on the radio.


Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Roy Orbison's music is playing, which is often about loneliness.


Hey, that's me, and I want you only
The singer identifies with the song and he wants Mary and no one else.


Don't turn me home again
He wants her to stay with him.


I just can't face myself alone again
He doesn't want to be alone anymore.


Don't run back inside, darling
He wants her to stay with him and not go back inside her house.


You know just what I'm here for
She knows he's here to be with her.


So you're scared and you're thinking
She's scared and uncertain.


That maybe we ain't that young anymore
They're both getting older and it might not be the same.


Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
He asks her to trust him because anything can happen in the night.


You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
She's not the most attractive, but he's okay with that because he cares about her personality.


Oh, and that's alright with me
He is truly happy with her.


You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
She is depressed and unhappy, hiding under blankets studying her problems.


Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
She is coming up with rituals to cope with her emotional pain.


Waste your summer praying in vain
She has spent her summer with no progress made.


For a savior to rise from these streets
She hopes for a miracle or someone to save her from her troubles.


Well now I'm no hero, that's understood
He's not a hero or a savior.


All the redemption I can offer, girl
He can offer her some relief, but not a miracle.


Is beneath this dirty hood
All the help he can give her is under his car's hood.


With a chance to make it good somehow
He thinks there's a chance they can be happy.


Hey, what else can we do now?
He's asking her to give them a chance.


Except roll down the window
The car window needs to be opened.


And let the wind blow back your hair
The wind feels good and she should enjoy it.


Well, the night's busting open
The night seems full of possibilities.


These two lanes will take us anywhere
The road can take them anywhere they want to go.


We got one last chance to make it real
They only have one opportunity to make it work.


To trade in these wings on some wheels
They need to exchange their dreams for a realistic future.


Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks
They need to get in the car because their future is ahead of them.


Oh-oh, come take my hand
He's inviting her along on this adventure with him.


We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
They're going out tonight to see what the future holds.


Oh-oh, Thunder Road
The song's title, which represents a future filled with excitement and potential.


Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
He's excited for the road and whatever future lies ahead.


Lying out there like a killer in the sun
The future seems dangerous but also exciting.


Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Even though it's late, they can achieve their goals if they hurry.


Oh-oh, Thunder Road
He's excited about the possibilities of the future again.


Sit tight, take hold
She needs to stay calm and be ready for the ride.


Thunder Road
The title of the song.


Well, I got this guitar
He's a musician.


And I learned how to make it talk
He's good at playing the guitar.


And my car's out back
His car is in the parking lot.


If you're ready to take that long walk
If she's ready to go on this adventure with him.


From your front porch to my front seat
She needs to leave her house and get in his car.


The door's open but the ride ain't free
He's willing to help her, but it will come at a cost.


And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
He understands that she needs comfort that he hasn't given her yet.


Tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken
They're going to have an adventure together, and they don't need to keep their promises from the past.


There were ghosts in the eyes
The boys she's dated before haunt her.


Of all the boys you sent away
She's ended past relationships.


They haunt this dusty beach road
The past is part of the journey ahead.


On the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
Her past relationships have been destroyed, like the burnt out cars on the road.


They scream your name at night in the street
Her past loves haunt her and she can't forget them.


Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
Even though she graduated, she's still bogged down by her past.


And in the lonely cool before dawn
Early mornings are often lonely for her.


You hear their engines roaring on
She's reminded of her past loves from the sounds of the street.


When you get to the porch
Once they arrive at the house.


They're gone on the wind
Her past loves are gone like the wind.


So Mary, climb in
He's asking her to get in the car and leave the past behind.


It's a town full of losers
The town they're leaving is full of unhappy people with bad situation.


I'm pulling out of here to win
They're leaving town to be successful and happy in the future.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

1957PLATO

He has written a ridiculous amount of great songs, but somehow for me this is his most epic. The imagery, the desperation, hope, everything is there. Sometimes it’s a little over the top, but somehow it all blends into a perfect mix of working man’s blues.

John Hocking

Heck, he wrote a ridiculous number of great songs on this one album ("Born to Run," 1975). In addition to Thunder Road, it has Backstreets, Jungleland, Born to Run, She's the One, Night... I think it ranks with Abbey Road, Who's Next, The Rising, Automatic for the People, Bookends, Darkness on the Edge of Town, London Calling, Exile on Main St., The Joshua Tree, and a few others, as among the greatest ever recorded.

Scott Bryant

The Boss is one of the elite songwriters of his times, along the lines of the poet Bob Dylan.

1957PLATO

@John Hocking totally agree. It’s an epic album, but my favorite remains Darkness on the Edge of Town.

John Hocking

@1957PLATO I discovered Bruce in July 1978, shortly after Darkness was released. For about three months I listened to nothing but Born to Run and Darkness. Whichever one was on the "turntable" (device used until about the mid-80s to turn round vinyl discs and reproduce recordings - and making a comeback) was my favorite album I had ever heard. I even objected to a weekend car trip because the car had no way to reproduce this music. To this day I can't decide which is my favorite Springsteen album. The River (1980) is also awfully good. And Magic (2007). You can almost throw a dart.

But to truly "get" Bruce, I think you have to see him live, which I first did on September 30, 1978. I walked out of the Fox Theater in Atlanta that night, thinking, knowing I had just experienced the greatest rock & roll that had ever been or ever would be.

1957PLATO

@John Hocking my introduction to the Boss was Born to run. At first I was not too impressed, but it grew on me and shortly after I bought Greetings and The Wild albums. Saw him once (Paris 1985) and I realised he is the best rock’n roll performer ever. Kept buying his albums until Born in the USA and then he got off my radar somehow. That does not mean he did not make great albums after that but his early work was really epic.

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The Rambling Geek

The audience singing gave me genuine goosebumps. One of my favorite songs ever

rapbuck3

Ditto. Great live performance of this song. Among many.

Marilyn Ofner

The audience knows all the words of the song! What a great tribute to Bruce!!!!!

Lexi Mittskus

My dad sang thunder road to me every night when i couldnt sleep. He passed away a few years ago. I just got engaged and this song brings me so much pain and so much comfort at the same time.

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