It's always about Mary with Brian. I'm pretty much in total agreement with Mike. The graduation gown torn up in the last verst of Thunder Road is what starts this story. Mary has made it through school, and the old mechanic back in Jersey is still stuck out in Atlantic City or something like that riding around listening to the waves and the radio in his old car. I think that Mary and the Mechanic, or anti-hero from Thunder Road are both lonely though. The chorus "like you waited on his call, and made your plans for great escapes" suggests that the girl waited for the mechanics call while she was away, and that she maybe wanted him to come with her. The second chorus is all about how the mechanic never got to ask the question, or never got Mary to stay, or to come back.
In the end though, they're both lying alone. Mary in her bed in silence, the magic maybe gone from her life as she has a 9 to 5, and has to "shake it out" every morning just to get out of bed; and the mechanic on the hood of his car still dreaming big, and still howling about Mary and what could have been if she hadn't doubted him, or he hadn't doubted her.
I think that the last lines are really what matters too. Bless your words, bless your doubts, or waters and doubts, because it shows the speaker isn't angry about the situation, and maybe believes that both he and Mary are in better places now, her or his doubts, saving them from heart break, and maybe allowing him to love her forever even if he cannot have her.
It's always about Mary with Brian. I'm pretty much in total agreement with Mike. The graduation gown torn up in the last verst of Thunder Road is what starts this story. Mary has made it through school, and the old mechanic back in Jersey is still stuck out in Atlantic City or something like that riding around listening to the waves and the radio in his old car. I think that Mary and the Mechanic, or anti-hero from Thunder Road are both lonely though. The chorus "like you waited on his call, and made your plans for great escapes" suggests that the girl waited for the mechanics call while she was away, and that she maybe wanted him to come with her. The second chorus is all about how the mechanic never got to ask the question, or never got Mary to stay, or to come back.
In the end though, they're both lying alone. Mary in her bed in silence, the magic maybe gone from her life as she has a 9 to 5, and has to "shake it out" every morning just to get out of bed; and the mechanic on the hood of his car still dreaming big, and still howling about Mary and what could have been if she hadn't doubted him, or he hadn't doubted her.
I think that the last lines are really what matters too. Bless your words, bless your doubts, or waters and doubts, because it shows the speaker isn't angry about the situation, and maybe believes that both he and Mary are in better places now, her or his doubts, saving them from heart break, and maybe allowing him to love her forever even if he cannot have her.