THE PROMISE 
Unofficial Sep-Oct 1977 studio version
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 little 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 way up on the screen
And I drove a Challenger down Route 9 through the dead ends and all the bad scenes
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: 07 Nov 2010
Info
The above lyrics are for a studio take of THE PROMISE probably recorded in
September or October 1977 at The Record Plant in New York City, NY. See the
official 1977 studio version for more details.
This version features some lyrics variations to the
unofficial Jun-Jul 1977 studio version and the
unofficial Aug 1977 studio version. It is far more
complete than the two. It has a full band arrangement and clocks at 7:10; the instrumental outro
is more than a minute long. It was first considered to be included on the Tracks box set in
1998. See the official 1999 studio version for more
details.
This unofficial Sep-Oct 1977 studio version of THE PROMISE can be found on the
Deep Down In The Vaults (E Street Records) bootleg.
![Bruce Springsteen -- Deep Down In The Vaults (E Street Records) [bootleg cover art]](../../lyrics_files/bootlegs/bootleg_dditv.jpg "Bruce Springsteen -- Deep Down In The Vaults (E Street Records) [bootleg cover art]")
In November 2010, this version was released in a slightly edited form on The
Promise. See the official 1977 studio version for more
details.
Available Versions
List of available versions of THE PROMISE on this website:
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