THUNDER ROAD

Live 31 Jan 1998 version



[Bruce Springsteen (spoken intro):] All right, hope we got this one.
[Jon Bon Jovi (spoken intro):] We're doing it!
[Bruce Springsteen (spoken intro):] That's right. There we go. Wait, wait!

[Southside Johnny:] You light up my life, you...
[Bruce Springsteen (spoken intro):] (chuckles) Oh, ah. Come on, here we go! Southside, you ready to sing your part on this one?
[Southside Johnny (spoken intro):] I don't know the fucking thing!
[Bruce Springsteen (spoken intro):] (chuckles) Come, I'll waiting for you!
[Southside Johnny (spoken intro):] Oh, I'll be there!

Bruce Springsteen:Screen door slams
Crowd: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
Bruce Springsteen:All right!
Well, don't you run back inside
Darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking, 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 all right
Whoa, and that's all right with me

Southside Johnny:You can hide 'neath your — aah, 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
Jon Bon Jovi:Well, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance, I'll make it good somehow
What else can we do now
Except
All:roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busted open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
Bruce Springsteen:We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Jon Bon Jovi:Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks

All:Whoa, oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Bruce Springsteen:Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
All:Whoa, oh, oh, oh, Thunder Road, sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Jon Bon Jovi:Well, I got my guitar and I learned how to make it talk
My car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
Bruce Springsteen:From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride, it ain't free
I know you're lonely, there's words that I ain't spoken
Tonight, girl, we'll be free, all the promises will be broken
All: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
Bruce Springsteen:They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
Southside Johnny:In the lonely cool before dawn
Jon Bon Jovi:You hear their engines roaring on
Bruce Springsteen:But when you get to the porch
Jon Bon Jovi:They're gone on the wind
Bruce Springsteen:So Mary climb in
Springsteen and Bon Jovi:It's a town full of losers
Jon Bon Jovi:We're pulling out of here to win
Whoa!

[Bruce Springsteen (spoken outro):] Want to thank Jon Bon Jovi, who put all this together tonight. He got us all down here. Bobby Bandiera for rehearsing that band, man! Thank you, Johnny!
[Jon Bon Jovi (spoken outro):] Thank you everyone for coming, you all did a great thing tonight, we helped out somebody from your hometown, okay, and, uh, be careful driving home, we're going to the bar! Goodnight!
[Southside Johnny (spoken outro):] Thanks, Danny DeVito, for coming in, too. Thanks, Danny. Richie Sambora flew back from Europe just for tonight. Clarence Clemons came up from Florida. Came in from all over the place. And Jonny Bon Jovi, huh? The son of a bitch! Who knew?


Info

The above lyrics are for live 31 Jan 1998 performance of THUNDER ROAD at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during the "Come Together: Jon Bon Jovi & Friends" benefit concert. THUNDER ROAD was the show closer, with Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, and Jon Bon Jovi sharing lead vocals. Steven Van Zandt, Patti Scialfa, Richie Sambora, and Clarence Clemons were also onstage, in addition to Bobby Bandiera's band.

The 31 Jan 1998 Show

The "Come Together: Jon Bon Jovi & Friends" benefit concert was organized by the Long Branch Police Department, The Asbury Park Press, and FPI Concerts, along with Jon Bon Jovi. The concert was to honor slain Long Branch police officer Sgt. Patrick King and raise money for the Sgt. Patrick King Memorial Fund to provide for his family. King, 45-year-old father of two young boys, was fatally shot on 20 Nov 1997 by a fugitive who had vowed to kill himself and a police officer rather than be captured and returned to jail.

Twenty musicians with ties to the Jersey shore music scene answered Jon Bon Jovi's call, including Bruce Springsteen and several members of the then-disbanded E Street Band (Clarence Clemons, Danni Frederici, Patti Scialfa, Steven Van Zandt, and Max Weinberg), Southside Johnny, Bobby Bandiera, and Richie Sambora among others. Actor Danny DeVito was the event's MC. Tickets, which were priced at $125, went on sale on 17 Jan 1998 noon and sold out in just eight minutes. The concert that was organized in short order raised more than $112,000 for King's widow and his two sons.

Promotional poster for the 31 Jan 1998 show at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
Promotional poster for the 31 Jan 1998 show at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
Ticket stub for the 31 Jan 1998 show at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
Ticket stub for the 31 Jan 1998 show at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ

"It was a chance to forget about [the murder] a little bit," Long Branch police Sgt. Bruce Johantgen, one of about 50 city police officers who attended the show, told The Asbury Park Press. "The outpouring of love from the performers to the audience was unbelievable". Johantgen said he found it ironic that Bon Jovi and other performers thanked the audience for coming to the sold-out show. "From the police perspective, I kept thinking, 'We should be thanking you for giving your time'," Johantgen said.

This was a near-reunion of the fabled E Street Band and Springsteen's first full-length electric gig following the acoustic The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour. Springsteen spent much (or possibly all) of the night onstage, singing or playing guitar only. Soundboard recording for the complete concert is available among collectors.

  1. THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL (with Southside Johnny, Jon Bon Jovi, and Steven Van Zandt)
  2. TWO HEARTS (Bruce Springsteen with Steven Van Zandt)
  3. BAD MEDICINE (Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny)
  4. UNTIL THE GOOD IS GONE (Steven Van Zandt)
  5. TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT (Bruce Springsteen with Jon Bon Jovi)
  6. BROKE DOWN PIECE OF MAN (Southside Johnny and Bon Jovi)
  7. HARD TIMES COME EASY (Richie Sambora)
  8. LOVE'S GLORY (Patti Scialfa)
  9. THERE GOES MY BABY (Southside Johnny)
  10. THIS TIME BABY'S GONE FOR GOOD (Bruce Springsteen with Southside Johnny and Steven Van Zandt)
  11. YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME (Bruce Springsteen with Jon Bon Jovi)
  12. THE PROMISED LAND (Bruce Springsteen)
  13. ALL I NEEDED WAS YOU (Southside Johnny and Van Zandt)
  14. SOMEDAY I'LL BE SATURDAY NIGHT (Jon Bon Jovi and Southside Johnny)
  15. BOBBY JEAN (Bruce Springsteen)
  16. BLOOD ON BLOOD (Jon Bon Jovi)
  17. THE FEVER (Bruce Springsteen with Southside Johnny and Clarence Clemons)
  18. I'VE BEEN WORKING TOO HARD - LITTLE QUEENIE (Southside Johnny and Jon Bon Jovi)
  19. I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME (Bruce Springsteen with Southside Johnny, Jon Bon Jovi, and Steven Van Zandt)
  20. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME (Bruce Springsteen with Southside Johnny and Van Zandt)
  21. WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE (Bruce Springsteen with Jon Bon Jovi)
  22. BACKSTREETS (Bruce Springsteen)
  23. FOREVER (Steven Van Zandt)
  24. LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (Jon Bon Jovi)
  25. BADLANDS (Bruce Springsteen)
  26. I PLAYED THE FOOL (Southside Johnny and Jon Bon Jovi)
  27. KEEP THE FAITH (Jon Bon Jovi)
  28. BORN TO RUN (Bruce Springsteen)
  29. ROCKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD (Bruce Springsteen with all performers)
  30. TREAT HER RIGHT (Southside Johnny and Jon Bon Jovi with all performers)
  31. THUNDER ROAD (Bruce Springsteen with Southside Johnny, Jon Bon Jovi, Steven Van Zandt, and all performers)

The 31 Jan 1998 show at Count Basie Theatre was commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.

Bruce Springsteen & Bon Jovi -- Live On Air
Bruce Springsteen & Bon Jovi -- Live On Air

2xCD - Laser Media (1143272) - UK, 2016

This release contains part of the 31 Jan 1998 show at Count Basie Theatre.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of THUNDER ROAD on this website:

THUNDER ROAD [Album version]
THUNDER ROAD [Early draft]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #1]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #2]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #3]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #4]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 20 Jul 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 17 Oct 1975 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Oct 1975 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 31 Dec 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Apr 1976 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 25 Mar 1977 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 13 May 1977 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 13 Sep 1977 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Sep 1978 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 08 Dec 1978 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 21 Sep 1979 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1979 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Oct 1980 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Jul 1981 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 08 Jun 1984 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Nov 1984 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jul 1988 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 02 Sep 1988 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Nov 1990 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 28 Sep 1992 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 24 Jun 1993 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 15 Feb 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 May 1997 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 May 1997 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 31 Jan 1998 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 23 Oct 1999 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jun 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 01 Jul 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Oct 2001 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 29 Aug 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Oct 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Oct 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Feb 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 29 Apr 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Jun 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 01 Nov 2004 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Apr 2005 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 12 Oct 2005 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Nov 2007 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Nov 2007 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 14 Mar 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 May 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Jun 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 23 Aug 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Oct 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Oct 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 30 May 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 17 Nov 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Nov 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Nov 2010 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 15 Jan 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Nov 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Nov 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 14 Jan 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Mar 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 06 Apr 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Nov 2016 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live July 2018 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Greg Kihn's cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Badly Drawn Boy's cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Cowboy Junkies' cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Kevin Rowland's cover version]

Page last updated: 01 Sep 2012