Thunder Road
Greg Kihn Lyrics

The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Mary has just come out of the house and the sudden force of the screen door closing causes her dress to wave in the breeze

Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Mary looks beautiful as she dances across the porch while the radio plays

Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Roy Orbison's music is playing on the radio and it's about loneliness

Hey, that's me and I want you only
The singer sees himself in Roy Orbison's lyrics and wants Mary all to himself

Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
The singer doesn't want to be sent home as he feels anxious about being alone again

Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
The singer urges Mary not to go back inside because he is there for her

So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
The singer acknowledges that Mary may be afraid or uncertain about their future because they are not as youthful

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
The singer asks Mary to have faith because there is something magical about the night

You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
The singer thinks Mary may not be the most beautiful woman, but he still finds her attractive and okay

Oh, and that's alright with me
The singer doesn't mind that Mary may not be considered stunning as he is happy with her

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
The singer describes Mary as someone who may hide under their bed covers to study and dwell in their own pain

Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Mary might make crosses with her former lovers or throw roses in the rain to symbolize her heartbreak

Waste your summer praying in vain
Mary might have spent her summer praying for something that may not come to pass

For a savior to rise from these streets
Mary is looking for someone or something to save her from the difficult streets she lives in

Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
The singer admits that he is not a hero and may not provide a lot of help to Mary's situation

All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
The singer's way of redeeming Mary is by offering her a ride in his car, under the hood that may not look clean or polished

With a chance to make it good somehow
The singer believes that he and Mary have an opportunity to improve their situation together

Hey, what else can we do now?
The singer asks what else needs to be done but to move on

Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
The singer invites Mary to roll down the car window and feel the wind in her hair

Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
The night feels like it's bursting with possibilities and the empty two-lane streets can take them anywhere they want to go

We got one last chance to make it real
The singer says that they have one more opportunity to make their dreams come true

To trade in these wings on some wheels
The singer suggests that instead of flying away like they have wings, they trade these wings for some wheels and drive to their destination

Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks
The singer invites Mary to hop into the back of his car with the promise of a better future that lies ahead

Oh oh, come take my hand
The singer asks Mary to hold his hand and come with him on this journey

We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
The singer and Mary are going out riding tonight to see what opportunities are present for them

Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
The singer declares that they are on a mysterious and exciting road trip

Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
The singer emphasizes the name of the road he's traveling on

Lying out there like a killer in the sun
The road feels powerful and has a menacing presence like a killer hiding in broad daylight

Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
The singer knows it's late but is confident they can achieve their dreams if they hurry

Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
The singer reiterates that they are still on the exciting and mysterious Thunder Road

Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
The singer tells Mary to sit tight and hold on as they continue on this important journey

Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
The singer shares that he has a guitar and can make it sound amazing

And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
The singer's car is parked outside and ready to take them on a long trip

From your front porch to my front seat
The singer invites Mary to leave her house's porch and ride with him in the front seat of his car

The door's open but the ride ain't free
The singer reminds Mary that although his car's door is open, the ride is not free and he has certain expectations.

And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
The singer realizes that Mary is longing for some words he hasn't said yet

But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken
The singer assures Mary that tonight they will be free and he might break his promises to Mary, if he has to, in order to be free.

There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
The singer believes Mary still haunts the boys she left behind and they still love her.

They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
The boys Mary sent away still haunt the towns they grew up in, in old burnt-out cars

They scream your name at night in the street
The boys would call out Mary's name at night as they were heartbroken

Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
The boys symbolically dispose of Mary's graduation gown because she left them

And in the lonely cool before dawn
The singer describes the time period before dawn as a lonely and quiet time

You hear their engines rolling on
Mary hears the engines of the boys rolling on like they're still chasing her

But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
When Mary gets home to her porch, the boys are gone like they were never there, only appearing in memories and dreams.

So Mary, climb in
The singer urges Mary to get into his car and leave behind this past.

It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win
The singer believes that the town they live in is a place of disappointment and he is determined to leave it and carry on with his life