Although a vein of social and political humor runs though even his earliest work, Bern's work became more explicitly political during the 2004 US presidential election campaign, with songs such as "Bush Must Be Defeated" and "President" highlighting his sometimes surreal political takes.
Bern is reflexively literate, in the style of his favorite authors, including L.A.'s legendary bohemians Charles Bukowski and John Fante, urbane fantasist James Thurber, and yarn-spinning humorist Ring Lardner. He is in love with the power of words to turn on themselves, to frolic, to bite, and his strong, friendly voice can go from earnest to ferocious within seconds. Being captivated by Dan is the easy part; describing his music to the non-initiated is more difficult. One journalist tried: "topical-poetical-sarcastic-punk-folk." An admirable effort, further elaborated by the New York Times: "He veers from comedy to anger, conjectures to shaggy-dog stories; he takes sidelong approaches to theology, science fiction, consumer culture, art, love and baseball."
Thunder Road
Dan Bern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mary' 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
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 saviour 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 on down 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
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
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 it 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 roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone
On the wind so Mary climb in
It's town full of losers
And I'm pulling out of here to win
"Thunder Road" is a song by Dan Bern that tells the story of two teenagers, Mary and the singer, who are deciding to leave their town, which is described as a "town full of losers," and take "Thunder Road" as their last chance to make it big, and make it out alive. The song begins with Mary dancing on the porch as the radio plays Roy Orbison's "Only the Lonely," and she asks the singer not to leave her alone. The singer offers her a chance to take a ride with him on Thunder Road, where they can escape the constraints of their small town and be free to chase their dreams.
The second verse is more reflective and introspective. Here, the singer encourages Mary to forget about her pain and embrace the freedom of the journey they are about to undertake. He talks about the ghosts of the young men who had been sent away from their town and who haunt the dusty beach road in which they ride. At the end of the verse, the singer tells Mary "But when you get to the porch they're gone," indicating that the unknown future often brings hope even when there is loss along the way.
Finally, the song ends with the singer asking Mary to take his hand and ride with him. They rush into the night on Thunder Road, heading toward the "promised land" where they can be free.
Line by Line Meaning
The screen door slams
The beginning of something exciting is happening
Mary' dress waves
Mary is a graceful and beautiful dancer
Like a vision she dances across the porch
Mary is like a dream come true
As the radio plays
Background music amplifies the moment
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
The music is fitting for the situation
Hey that's me and I want you only
The singer is making his intentions known
Don't turn me home again
The singer wants to stay with Mary
I just can't face myself alone again
The artist is afraid of being alone
Don't run back inside
The artist urges Mary to stay with him
Darling you know just what I'm here for
The artist wants to be there for Mary
So you're scared and you're thinking
Mary is hesitant about the situation
That maybe we ain't that young anymore
The artist acknowledges the uncertainty of their future together
Show a little faith there's magic in the night
The singer believes that anything can happen
You ain't a beauty but hey you're alright
The singer sees beauty in Mary despite conventional standards
Oh and that's alright with me
The singer is content with Mary just the way she is
You can hide 'neath your covers
Mary can choose to avoid the situation
And study your pain
Mary can focus on her own problems
Make crosses from your lovers
Mary can hold on to the past
Throw roses in the rain
Mary can be romantic but it might not change anything
Waste your summer praying in vain
Mary can obsess over finding a solution
For a saviour to rise from these streets
Mary is looking for a way out or a better path
Well now I'm no hero
The artist acknowledges his shortcomings
That's understood
The situation is clear to everyone involved
All the redemption I can offer girl
The artist can only offer his affection
Is beneath this dirty hood
The singer's potential is not immediately visible
With a chance to make it good somehow
The singer sees an opportunity to succeed
Hey what else can we do now ?
The singer is ready to take action
Except roll down the window
The artist is ready to take risks
And let the wind blow
Sometimes it's better to let go and see what happens
Back your hair
The singer is interested in Mary and making her feel comfortable
Well the night's busting open
The night is full of possibilities
These two lanes will take us anywhere
The artist and Mary can go anywhere together
We got one last chance to make it real
This could be the last opportunity for the artist and Mary
To trade in these wings on some wheels
The artist is ready to exchange his current life for something new
Climb in back
The singer is offering Mary a ride
Heaven's waiting on down the tracks
There's a brighter future ahead
Oh-oh come take my hand
The singer is ready for Mary to join him
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
The singer and Mary are eager to explore new opportunities and adventures
Oh-oh Thunder Road oh Thunder Road
The journey ahead will be exciting and full of possibilities
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
The future is full of promise but also unknown dangers
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
The situation is urgent and requires immediate action
Oh Thunder Road sit tight take hold
Prepare for the adventure ahead
Thunder Road
The path ahead will be exhilarating
Well I got this guitar
The artist is a musician
And I learned how to make it talk
The artist is confident in his skills
And my car's out back
The artist has transportation ready
If you're ready to take that long walk
The singer wants Mary to join him on a journey
From your front porch to my front seat
The artist is picking Mary up from her home
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
The singer is asking for Mary's commitment
And I know you're lonely
The singer understands Mary's situation
For words that I ain't spoken
The singer knows he hasn't expressed himself well
But tonight we'll be free
The artist wants to provide a sense of freedom to Mary
All the promises'll be broken
The artist is ready for a fresh start
There were ghosts in the eyes
The past still haunts the singers
Of all the boys you sent away
Mary has missed out on previous opportunities
They haunt this dusty beach road
The past is still present
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
There are tangible reminders of the past
They scream your name at night in the street
The past is calling Mary back
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
The past has been destroyed and won't return
And in the lonely cool before dawn
The night seems endless and sorrowful
You hear their engines roaring on
The past still has power over the present
But when you get to the porch they're gone
The past can't be held onto forever
On the wind so Mary climb in
The singer urges Mary to move on and come with him
It's town full of losers
The artist and Mary are surrounded by people who have lost opportunities
And I'm pulling out of here to win
The artist is determined to succeed and leave their current situation behind
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind