Johnny works in a factory, hey, Billy works downtown
And Terry works in a rock and roll band lookin' for that million-dollar sound
And me I got a job down in Denville but some nights I just don't go
I said I ride to the drive-in or some nights I just stay home
Well I follow that dream just like those guys do 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

Whoa-ah-um
Well now I built that Challenger by myself, but I needed money and so I sold it
And I lived a secret I should'a kept to myself, but I got [bad word] one night and I told it
All my life I fought the fight, the one that no man can ever win
Every day it just gets harder, a dream I'm only livin' in
Thunder Road, ??? the evening 'till it turns light
Thunder Road, there's something dyin' out on the highway tonight

Well my daddy taught me how to walk quiet and how to make my peace with the past
I learned real good to tighten up inside and I don't say nothing unless I'm asked
And the promise is broken you go on living, it steals something from down in your soul
Like when the [bad word] gets spoken, don't make a difference, something in your heart ??? turns cold
Well I follow that dream to the southwest ???, the dead ends in the two-bit bars
The promise was broken, I go far away from home sleepin' in the backseat of a borrowed car
Thunder Road, hey-yeahhh-yeah
Thunder Road, here's all for the [bad word] by in the rain
Thunder Road, remember what me and Billy we always say
Thunder Road, we wanna take it all, gonna throw it all
Throw it all away
Throw it all away
Throw it all away
Throw it all away
Throw it all away