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 up on the screen
And I drive 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 dream

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 never 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 something dyin' 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 carryin' 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, something in your heart goes cold

Thunder Road, for the lost lovers and all the fixed games
Thunder Road, for the tires rushing by in the rain
Thunder Road, Billy and me we'd always say
Thunder Road, we were gonna take it all then threw it all away