The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Now let me tell a story, I can tell it all
About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol
His daddy made the whiskey, the son, he drove the load
And when his engine roared, they called the highway thunder road
Sometimes into Ashville, sometimes Memphis Town
The revenuers, they chased him, but they couldn't run him down
Each time they thought they had him, his engine would explode
He'd go by like they were standing still on thunder road
There was thunder, thunder over thunder road
Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first
On the first of April, 1954
The federal man sent word, he better make his run no more
He said two hundred agents were covering the state
Whichever road he'd try to take, they'd get him sure as fate
'Son', his daddy told him, 'Now make this run your last
Your tank is filled with a hundred proof, you're all tuned up and gassed
Now don't take any chances, if you can't get through
I'd rather have you back again than all that mountain dew?
There was thunder, thunder over thunder road
Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first
Roaring out of Harlan, revving up his mill
He shot the gap at Cumberland and screamed through Maynardville
With G-men on his tail light, roadblocks up ahead
The mountain boy took roads that even angels feared to tread
Blazing right through Knoxville, out on Kingston Pike
Then right outside of Bearden, there they made the fatal strike
He left the road at ninety, that's all there is to say
The devil got the moonshine and the mountain boy that day
There was thunder, thunder over thunder road
Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first
About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol
His daddy made the whiskey, the son, he drove the load
And when his engine roared, they called the highway thunder road
Sometimes into Ashville, sometimes Memphis Town
The revenuers, they chased him, but they couldn't run him down
Each time they thought they had him, his engine would explode
He'd go by like they were standing still on thunder road
There was thunder, thunder over thunder road
Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first
On the first of April, 1954
The federal man sent word, he better make his run no more
He said two hundred agents were covering the state
Whichever road he'd try to take, they'd get him sure as fate
'Son', his daddy told him, 'Now make this run your last
Your tank is filled with a hundred proof, you're all tuned up and gassed
Now don't take any chances, if you can't get through
I'd rather have you back again than all that mountain dew?
There was thunder, thunder over thunder road
Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first
Roaring out of Harlan, revving up his mill
He shot the gap at Cumberland and screamed through Maynardville
With G-men on his tail light, roadblocks up ahead
The mountain boy took roads that even angels feared to tread
Blazing right through Knoxville, out on Kingston Pike
Then right outside of Bearden, there they made the fatal strike
He left the road at ninety, that's all there is to say
The devil got the moonshine and the mountain boy that day
There was thunder, thunder over thunder road
Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst
The law they swore they'd get him, but the devil got him first
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Ballad of Thunder Road Lyrics as written by Robert Mitchum Don Raye
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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