Thunder Road
Mary Lou Lord Lyrics

The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Mary is standing on the porch, the door slams behind her and her dress blows in the wind.

Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Mary dances gracefully across the porch as the radio plays in the background.

Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
The radio is playing a song by Roy Orbison about loneliness.

Hey, that's me and I want you only
The singer hears the song and realizes that she doesn't want to be alone, she wants to be with the person she loves.

Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
The singer begs her lover to not send her away because she can't bear to be alone again.

Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
The singer tells her lover not to go back inside because she knows why she's there - to be with him.

So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
The singer acknowledges that they are getting older and that life is scary, but they can still make the most of the time they have left.

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
The singer encourages her lover to have faith because anything can happen in the magical night.

You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
The singer tells her lover that she may not be conventionally beautiful, but she's still alright and that's all that matters.

Oh, and that's alright with me
The singer doesn't care about her lover's physical appearance because she loves him/her for who they are.

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
The singer says that her lover can hide in bed and brood over their problems.

Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
The singer suggests that her lover can make crosses out of their past partners and throw roses in the rain to symbolize letting go of the past.

Waste your summer praying in vain
The singer says that her lover can spend their summer praying for something that may never come.

For a savior to rise from these streets
The singer acknowledges that the streets are not a good place, but her lover may be hoping for someone to come and save them from their problems.

Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
The singer acknowledges that she can't save her lover from everything because she's not a superhero.

All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
The singer says that the only help she can offer her lover is to take them for a ride in her car (which has seen better days).

With a chance to make it good somehow
The singer thinks that they can turn things around if they try hard enough.

Hey, what else can we do now?
The singer acknowledges that things are not perfect, but doesn't know what else they can do to make things better.

Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
The singer suggests that her lover forget their problems for a while, enjoy the ride and let the wind blow through their hair.

Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
The singer believes that the night is full of possibilities and they can go anywhere they want on these two lanes.

We got one last chance to make it real
The singer suggests that this could be their last chance to make their dreams come true.

To trade in these wings on some wheels
The singer suggests that they can trade their dreams of flying away for a more realistic dream of driving away in a car.

Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks
The singer invites her lover to climb into the back seat of her car and head towards a better life.

Oh oh, come take my hand
The singer offers her hand to her lover, inviting them to go on this adventure together.

We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
The singer and her lover are going on a ride to explore new possibilities and chase their dreams.

Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
The singer repeats the name of the road to emphasize its importance.

Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
The singer repeats the name of the road to emphasize its importance.

Lying out there like a killer in the sun
The singer describes the road as dangerous and deadly, like a killer waiting in the sun.

Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
The singer acknowledges that it's late, but believes they can still achieve their dreams if they hurry.

Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
The singer repeats the name of the road to emphasize its importance.

Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
The singer encourages her lover to hold on tight and stay strong on their journey down Thunder Road.

Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
The singer introduces her guitar and how she has learned to express herself through it.

And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
The singer's car is waiting for them if they are ready to go on this journey together.

From your front porch to my front seat
The singer suggests that her lover can leave their old life behind and join her in the front seat of her car.

The door's open but the ride ain't free
The singer indicates that the door to her car is open, but the journey will come with its own costs.

And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
The singer acknowledges that her lover may be looking for her to say something that she hasn't said yet.

But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken
The singer promises that they will be free tonight, but all their previous promises will be broken in the process.

There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
The singer suggests that her lover has a past where they have sent many men away and is haunted by the ghosts of those past relationships.

They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
The singer describes how the ghosts of her lover's past relationships haunt the roads they are driving on in the burnt-out shells of old cars.

They scream your name at night in the street
The singer suggests that the ghosts of her lover's past relationships are calling out to them at night.

Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
The singer describes how her lover's graduation gown is in tatters at the feet of these ghosts, indicating that they are not over their past relationships.

And in the lonely cool before dawn
The singer highlights a moment of loneliness before the sun rises.

You hear their engines rolling on
The singer suggests that her lover hears the ghosts of past relationships in the distance, represented as the sound of their engines.

But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
The singer acknowledges that these ghosts disappear as soon as they arrive, and that they are merely figments of her lover's imagination.

So Mary, climb in
The singer invites her lover, Mary, to climb into the car so that they can leave their past behind.

It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win
The singer realizes that their town is filled with people who have given up on their dreams, but she is leaving to chase hers and win.