Bruce Springsteen Tribute - Lebanese Tribute to Bruce Springsteen

THE PROMISE^©

Sep-Oct 1977 studio take

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

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
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 somethin' dyin' down on the highway tonight

I won big once and I hit the coast, oh but somehow I paid the big cost
Inside I felt like I was carrying the broken spirits of all the other ones who lost
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, somethin' in your heart goes cold
I followed that dream through the southwestern tracks, that dead ends in two-bit bars
When the promise was broken I was far away from home sleepin' in the backseat of a borrowed car
Thunder Road, for the lost lovers and all the fixed games
Thunder Road, for the tires rushing by in the rain
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: 05 Aug 2008

From the Darkness On The Edge Of Tow recording sessions, three takes of THE PROMISE are in circulation:

One that was recorded in Jun-Jul 1977 at Atlantic Record Studios, New York City, NY.
One that was recorded in Aug 1977 at Atlantic Record Studios, New York City, NY.
One that was probably recorded in Sep-Oct 1977 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY.

The above lyrics are for a studio take probably recorded in Sep-Oct 1977 at The Record Plant, New York City, NY. It features some lyrics variations to the Jun-Jul 1977 studio take and the Aug 1977 studio take but it doesn't differ much from the official studio version. The lyrics on the 18 Tracks booklet reflect this version's much more than those of the official studio version. This supports the claim that it is this Sep-Oct 1977 studio take that was first considered to be included on the Tracks box set before Bruce rejecting it and re-recording a solo piano version in 1999 which many consider that it pales in comparison to this stunning Sep-Oct 1977 studio take. This is far more complete than the other two circulating 1977 studio takes. It has a full band arrangement and clocks at 7 minutes and 10 seconds -- the instrumental outro is more than a minute long. This version can be found on the Deep Down In The Vaults (E Street Records) bootleg.

Bruce Springsteen -- Deep Down In The Vaults (E Street Records)

List of available versions of THE PROMISE on this website:

THE PROMISE©

Sep-Oct 1977 studio take

Page last updated: 05 Aug 2008

THE PROMISE^©