THUNDER ROAD

Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version



[Spoken intro:] We wanna thank all you guys for coming out tonight... wherever the fuck you came from... I didn't get a straight answer to that one, alright (chuckles). ???. Alright, thanks ???. Alright. Let's go Roy!

The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
And like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey it's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Well 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, hey!
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh 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 I'm no hero, that's understood
And 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 window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's bustin' open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
For 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

Oh oh come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late, 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 it talk
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
I know you're lonely, those words that I ain't spoken
But 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, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers, we're pulling outta here to win


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 05 Apr 1995 performance of THUNDER ROAD at Sony Music Studios in New York City, NY, during a gig with the E Street Band to promote the release of the Greatest Hits album. This live 05 Apr 1995 version of the song was officially released on the 1995 Hungry Heart EP.

Bruce Springsteen performing THUNDER ROAD during the 05 Apr 1995 show at Sony Music Studios, New York City, NY
Bruce Springsteen performing THUNDER ROAD during the 05 Apr 1995 show at Sony Music Studios, New York City, NY

The 05 Apr 1995 Show

The 05 Apr 1995 show at Sony Music Studios was video taped in front of a small audience and a shortened hour-long version of the footage was later broadcast internationally to promote the Greatest Hits album.

Pass for the 04 Apr 1995 show at Sony Music Studios, New York City, NY
Pass for the 04 Apr 1995 show at Sony Music Studios, New York City, NY
(Taken from Brucebase)

  1. SECRET GARDEN
  2. BLOOD BROTHERS [take #1]
  3. THIS HARD LAND [take #1]
  4. I'M TURNING INTO ELVIS [part 1]
  5. MURDER INCORPORATED [take #1]
  6. STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [take #1]
  7. PROVE IT ALL NIGHT
  8. I'M TURNING INTO ELVIS [part 2]
  9. TWO HEARTS [take #1]
  10. I'M TURNING INTO ELVIS [part 3]
  11. BLOOD BROTHERS [take #2]
  12. THIS HARD LAND [take #2]
  13. MURDER INCORPORATED [take #2]
  14. STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [take #2]
  15. DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
  16. BOBBY JEAN
  17. SHE'S THE ONE
  18. BADLANDS
  19. CADILLAC RANCH
  20. TWO HEARTS [take #2]
  21. THUNDER ROAD

Official Releases

The live 05 Apr 1995 performance of THUNDER ROAD was officially released on the 1995 Hungry Heart EP. Note that the credits on this EP erroneously state that the song was recorded in "May 1995" but the correct date is 05 Apr 1995.

Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart

CD EP - Columbia (662625 2) - Austria, 1995

Austrian pressing for the UK market.

01- HUNGRY HEART
02- HUNGRY HEART [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
03- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart

CD EP - Columbia (662315 2) - Austria, 1995

Austrian pressing for the European market.

01- HUNGRY HEART
02- HUNGRY HEART [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
03- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
05- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart

CD EP - Columbia (662405 2) - Australia, 1995

01- HUNGRY HEART
02- HUNGRY HEART [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
03- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
05- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart

CD EP - SONY (SRCS 7815) - Japan, 1995

01- HUNGRY HEART
02- HUNGRY HEART [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
03- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
05- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart

CD EP - Columbia (CDSIN 66 I) - South Africa, 1995

01- HUNGRY HEART
02- HUNGRY HEART [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
03- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
05- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]

Requests

Please contact me if you have scans for or info about any official release containing the live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version of THUNDER ROAD that's not mentioned on this page. 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:

THUNDER ROAD [Album version]
THUNDER ROAD [Early draft]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #1]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #2]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #3]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #4]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 20 Jul 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 17 Oct 1975 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Oct 1975 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 31 Dec 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Apr 1976 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 25 Mar 1977 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 13 May 1977 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 13 Sep 1977 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Sep 1978 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 08 Dec 1978 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 21 Sep 1979 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1979 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Oct 1980 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Jul 1981 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 08 Jun 1984 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Nov 1984 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jul 1988 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 02 Sep 1988 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Nov 1990 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 28 Sep 1992 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 24 Jun 1993 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 15 Feb 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 May 1997 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 May 1997 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 31 Jan 1998 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 23 Oct 1999 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jun 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 01 Jul 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Oct 2001 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 29 Aug 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Oct 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Oct 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Feb 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 29 Apr 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Jun 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 01 Nov 2004 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Apr 2005 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 12 Oct 2005 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Nov 2007 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Nov 2007 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 14 Mar 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 May 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Jun 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 23 Aug 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Oct 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Oct 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 30 May 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 17 Nov 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Nov 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Nov 2010 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 15 Jan 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Nov 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Nov 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 14 Jan 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Mar 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 06 Apr 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Nov 2016 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live July 2018 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Greg Kihn's cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Badly Drawn Boy's cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Cowboy Junkies' cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Kevin Rowland's cover version]

Page last updated: 19 May 2018