THE PROMISE^©

Live 23 May 1978 version

[Spoken:] This is called "The Promise".

Well, Johnny works in a factory and Billy works downtown
Terry works in a rock and roll band lookin' for that million-dollar sound
Me, I got a little job down in Darlington, oh but some nights I don't go
Some nights I go to the drive-in, there're some nights I stay home
I followed that dream just like those guys do way up on the screen
I drove my Challenger down Route 9 through the dead ends and all the bad scenes
But when the promise was broken, I cashed in a few of my own dreams
Whoah

Well now I built that Challenger by myself, but I needed money and so I sold it
I lived a secret I should'a kept to myself, but I got drunk one night and I told it
All my life I fought this fight, the fight that no man can ever win
And every day it just gets harder to live this dream I'm believing in
Thunder Road, oh baby you were so right
Thunder Road, there's something dyin' out on the highway tonight

Well now my daddy taught me how to walk quiet and how to make my peace with the past*
I learned real good to tighten up inside and I don't say nothing unless I'm asked*
When the promise is broken you go on living, but it steals something from down in your soul
Like when the truth is spoken and it don't make no difference, something in your heart turns cold
Well I followed that dream through the southwestern tracks, the dead ends, and the two-bit bars
When the promise was broken I was far away from home sleepin' in the backseat of a borrowed car
Thunder Road, and when it washes away with the rain
Thunder Road, you learn to walk among the remains
Thunder Road, remember what me and Billy, we'd always say
Thunder Road, we were gonna take it all and throw it all away

Page last updated: 08 Aug 2008

The above lyrics are for the 23 May 1978 performance at Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY, during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour. This was the opening night of the tour, and THE PROMISE was performed that night in the full E Street Band arrangement that would never be used on any future show. As far as it's known, the full-band arrangement was used only once before, during a pre-tour private rehearsal on 19 May 1978 at the Paramount Theater, Asbury Park, NJ (check out the live 19 May 1978 version).

* In 1978, Springsteen was singing the song with a rewritten final verse.

List of available versions of THE PROMISE on this website:

• Official studio version (more details)
• Jun-Jul 1977 studio take
• Aug 1977 studio take
• Sep-Oct 1977 studio take
• Live 03 Aug 1976 version
• Live 29 Sep 1976 version
• Live 30 Oct 1976 version
• Live 19 May 1978 version
• Live 23 May 1978 version
• Live 01 Jul 2000 version
• Live 20 Jul 2005 version

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