Thunder Road
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Verse 1
The screen door slams, Mary's dress swaysLike a vision, she dances across the porch as the radio playsRoy Orbison singing for the lonelyHey, that's me, and I want you onlyDon't turn me home againI just can't face myself alone againVerse 2
Don't run back insideDarling, you know just what I'm here forSo you're scared, and you're thinkingThat maybe we ain't that young anymoreShow a little faith, there's magic in the nightYou ain't a beauty, but hey, you're alrightOh, and that's alright with meVerse 3
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your painMake crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rainWaste your summer praying in vainFor a saviour to rise from these streetsWell now, I'm no hero, that's understoodAll the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hoodWith a chance to make it good somehowHey, what else can we do now?Verse 4
Except roll down the windowAnd let the wind blow back your hairWell, the night's busting openThese two lanes will take us anywhereWe got one last chance to make it realTo trade in these wings on some wheelsClimb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracksBridge
Oh-oh, come take my handWe're riding out tonight to case the promised landOh-oh, Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder RoadLying out there like a killer in the sunHey, I know it's late, we can make it if we runOh, Thunder Road, sit tight, take holdThunder RoadVerse 5
Well, I got this guitar, and I learned how to make it talkAnd my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walkFrom your front porch to my front seatThe door's open, but the ride it ain't freeAnd I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spokenBut tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be brokenVerse 6
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent awayThey haunt this dusty beach roadIn the skeleton frames of burned out ChevroletsThey scream your name at night in the streetYour graduation gown lies in rags at their feetAnd in the lonely cool before dawnYou hear their engines roaring onBut when you get to the porch, they're gone on the windSo Mary, climb inIt's a town full of losers, and I'm pulling out of here to winWhat the song means
A man invites a woman to escape their small town together, offering companionship and hope despite their flawed circumstances. He acknowledges their loneliness and limitations but believes their love and determination can create something meaningful. The song celebrates taking chances and choosing freedom over settling.
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Thunder Road — A highway or path representing opportunity and escape
The road itself symbolizes the journey toward a better life and freedom from the past.
