Live 13 Sep 1977 version
The screen door slams, 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
Don't you run back inside
Darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Well, show a little faith, there's magic in the night
Hey, you ain't a beauty, but, hey, you're all right
Whoa, and that's all right with me
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
Well the kid ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now
Except 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
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks
Whoa, come and take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Whoa, oh, oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
I know it's late, but we can make it if we run
Oh, oh, oh, oh, Thunder Road, sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make her talk
Well, my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride, it ain't free
Well, 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
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
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
In the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
When you get to the porch they're gone
On the wind; well, Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win
The above lyrics are for the live 13 Sep 1977 performance of THUNDER ROAD at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Bruce Springsteen joined Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at one of their gigs at the club for a five-song set, the third of which was THUNDER ROAD.
This was a benefit concert for Bob Campanell, lead singer of The Shakes who were a house band at the club at the time. According to Brucebase, recollections differ as to if this gig was with the E Street Band or just Southside Johnny and his band, but the general consensus is that Springsteen joined Southside alone, without the E Street Band. Photos taken by Peter Howes at this show seem to confirm that. This would mean that the audio recording allocated to this date is associated incorrectly.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of THUNDER ROAD on this website:
THUNDER ROAD [Album version]