THUNDER ROAD

Cowboy Junkies' cover version

The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison is 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 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
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Yeah and that's alright 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 now I'm no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the windows and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's bustin' open and 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 on down the tracks

And oh oh come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh oh oh oh Thunder Road

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 streets
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before the dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win

Info

The above lyrics are for the Cowboy Junkies' cover of Bruce Springsteen's THUNDER ROAD. It was first released on a bonus disc of covers that accompanied their 2004 studio album One Soul Now.

Official Releases

The Cowboy Junkies cover of THUNDER ROAD was released on the 'Neath Your Covers, Part 1 EP in 2004 in addition to a few other releases.

Cowboy Junkies -- 'Neath Your Covers, Part 1

CD EP - Zoë Records (01143-2005-2) - USA, 2004

This is a free 5-track EP given away with the purchase of Cowboy Junkies' One Soul Now album.

Cowboy Junkies -- One Soul Now

2xCD - Latent/MapleMusic (MRCD 6426) - Canada, 2004

A two-disc version that includes the 'Neath Your Covers, Part 1 EP.

Cowboy Junkies -- One Soul Now

2xCD - Cooking Vinyl / Latent Recordings (COOKCD296) - UK, 2004

Two versions of the album were released in the UK: a single disc version, and a two-disc version that includes the 'Neath Your Covers, Part 1 EP.

Cowboy Junkies -- The Stars Of Our Stars

CD EP - Cooking Vinyl (FRYCD 193-CDR) - UK, 2004

This is a promo 3-track EP.

Various artists -- New Noises Vol. 66

CD - Rolling Stone (no catalog number) - Germany, 2004

This is a free CD issued exclusively with the August 2004 issue of Rolling Stone magazine Germany. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Cowboy Junkies.

Cowboy Junkies -- 'Neath Your Covers, Part 2

Digital album - Latent (no catalog number) - Canada, 2007

This is a download-only digital compilation album.

Bruce Springsteen and Cowboy Junkies

Cowboy Junkies is a Canadian country music and alternative rock band, formed by three siblings from the Timmins entertainment family: Margo Timmins on vocals, Michael Timmins on guitars, Peter Timmins on drums, and Alan Anton on bass.

Margo Timmins told Backstreets magazine that "all of us are huge Springsteen fans. I've always loved that song [Thunder Road]; It's one of the most beautiful songs ever written." She adds that to her, "'Thunder Road' is a real woman's song. It speaks of aging and losing certain dreams that you might have as a young woman that I don't think young men have. It's just a song I always wanted to sing from my perspective, a woman's perspective." Timmins said the group actually tried to record it several years ago but wasn't satisfied with the results. "I don't think I had the skill to do what I wanted to do with it," she says. "I knew how I wanted to do it but just didn't have the talent yet. So we waited and brought it back. I'm very happy with this take on it; it has a nice balance between the sadness and the beauty I think is part of that song."

In addition to THUNDER ROAD, the group had also released covers of Springsteen's BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGE, MY FATHER'S HOUSE, STATE TROOPER, and YOU'RE MISSING, and the five songs have been part of the group's live repertoire.

Credits

Thanks Lars (L.B. at Greasy Lake) for this version's lyrics.

Request

Please contact me if you have scans for or info about any official release containing the Cowboy Junkies' cover of THUNDER ROAD that's not mentioned on this page. I also need scans for the following releases:

• Cowboy Junkies -- The Stars Of Our Stars || CD5 EP - Cooking Vinyl (FRYCD 193-CDR) - UK, 2004

Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of THUNDER ROAD on this website:

Page last updated: 08 Jun 2012