Track 1 of Born To Run, 1975. See also: "Wings For Wheels".
- Credits
- Performances
- Multiples
- Released on Album
- Released as Live Download
- On The Tracks
- Lyrics
- Links
- Born To Run (1975)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, harmonica
- Mike Appel: backing vocals
- Roy Bittan: Fender Rhodes, glockenspiel
- Clarence Clemons: saxophone, backing vocals
- Garry Tallent: bass
- Steven Van Zandt: backing vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums
Performed live 1423 times (including performances as "Wings For Wheels").
- 1978-06-20 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
- 1978-06-17 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
- 1978-06-16 Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS
- 1978-06-14 Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
- 1978-06-13 Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, IA
- 1978-06-10 Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
- 1978-06-09 Mecca Arena, Milwaukee, WI
- 1978-06-08 Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
- 1978-06-06 Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
- 1978-06-05 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
- 1978-06-03 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1978-06-02 Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD
- 1978-05-31 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1978-05-30 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1978-05-29 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1978-05-27 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1978-05-26 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1978-05-24 Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
- 1978-05-23 Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY
- 1977-09-13 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
- 1977-05-13 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ (Late)
- 1977-05-13 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ (Early)
- 1977-05-12 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1977-03-25 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1977-03-24 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1977-03-23 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1977-03-22 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1977-03-20 Alumni Hall, Providence, RI
- 1977-03-19 Central Maine Youth Center, Lewiston, ME
- 1977-03-18 New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
- 1977-03-15 Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
- 1977-03-14 Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
- 1977-03-13 Towson Center, Towson, MD
- 1977-03-11 Gymnasium, Latrobe, PA
- 1977-03-10 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
- 1977-03-06 Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
- 1977-03-05 Jai-Alai Fronton, Orlando, FL
- 1977-03-04 Civic Auditorium, Jacksonville, FL
- 1977-03-02 Civic Center Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
- 1977-02-28 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
- 1977-02-27 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
- 1977-02-26 Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
- 1977-02-25 Edward C. Elliott Hall Of Music, West Lafayette, IN
- 1977-02-23 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
- 1977-02-22 Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI
- 1977-02-19 St. Paul Civic Center Theatre, Saint Paul, MN
- 1977-02-17 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
- 1977-02-15 Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
- 1977-02-13 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON
- 1977-02-12 Ottawa Civic Centre, Ottawa, ON
- 1977-02-10 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
- 1977-02-08 Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY
- 1977-02-07 Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
- 1976-11-04 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1976-11-03 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1976-11-02 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1976-10-30 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1976-10-29 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1976-10-28 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1976-10-27 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1976-10-25 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1976-10-17 McDonough Arena, Washington, DC
- 1976-10-16 William & Mary Hall, Williamsburg, VA
- 1976-10-13 Wilkins Theatre, Union, NJ
- 1976-10-12 Rutgers Gym, New Brunswick, NJ
- 1976-10-10 Millett Hall, Oxford, OH
- 1976-10-09 Athletic & Convocation Center, South Bend, IN
- 1976-10-05 Santa Barbara County Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
- 1976-10-02 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
- 1976-09-30 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
- 1976-09-29 Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
- 1976-09-26 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
- 1976-08-22 Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
- 1976-08-21 Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT
- 1976-08-07 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1976-08-06 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1976-08-05 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1976-08-03 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1976-08-02 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1976-08-01 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
- 1976-05-28 Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD
- 1976-05-27 Eisenhower Hall Auditorium, West Point, NY
- 1976-05-13 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
- 1976-05-11 Memorial Coliseum, Auburn, AL
- 1976-05-04 Mississippi Coliseum, Jackson, MS
- 1976-05-03 Joseph Taylor Robinson Municipal Auditorium, Little Rock, AR
- 1976-04-29 Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN
- 1976-04-28 Grand Ole Opry House At Opryland, Nashville, TN
- 1976-04-22 Burruss Auditorium, Blacksburg, VA
- 1976-04-21 Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, TN
- 1976-04-17 Louis A. Alexander Palestra, Rochester, NY
- 1976-04-15 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1976-04-13 Rec Hall, University Park, PA
- 1976-04-10 Paul Mellon Arts Center, Wallingford, CT
- 1976-04-09 Reid Athletic Center, Hamilton, NY
- 1976-04-08 Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
- 1976-04-07 Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
- 1976-04-05 Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH
- 1976-04-04 MSU Auditorium, East Lansing, MI
- 1976-04-01 Memorial Auditorium, Athens, OH
- 1976-03-29 Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC
- 1976-03-28 Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, NC
- 1976-03-26 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- 1976-03-25 Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
- 1975-12-31 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA
- 1975-12-30 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA
- 1975-12-28 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA
- 1975-12-27 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA
- 1975-12-21 Seneca Field House, Toronto, ON
- 1975-12-20 National Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON
- 1975-12-19 Théâtre Maisonneuve, Montreal, QC
- 1975-12-17 Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY
- 1975-12-16 Laker Hall Gym, Oswego, NY
- 1975-12-12 Post Dome, Greenvale, NY
- 1975-12-11 Walsh Auditorium, South Orange, NJ
- 1975-12-10 Davis Gym, Lewisburg, PA
- 1975-12-07 McDonough Arena, Washington, DC
- 1975-12-06 McDonough Arena, Washington, DC
- 1975-12-05 McDonough Arena, Washington, DC
- 1975-12-03 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1975-12-02 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1975-11-24 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
- 1975-11-23 Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- 1975-11-21 Stockholms Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1975-11-18 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
- 1975-11-11 Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
- 1975-11-10 Jai Alai Fronton, Tampa, FL
- 1975-11-06 Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, Tempe, AZ
- 1975-11-01 Robertson Gymnasium, Santa Barbara, CA
- 1975-10-31 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
- 1975-10-29 Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, CA
- 1975-10-26 Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle, WA
- 1975-10-19 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA
- 1975-10-18 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA (Late)
- 1975-10-18 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA (Early)
- 1975-10-17 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA (Late)
- 1975-10-17 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA (Early)
- 1975-10-16 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA
- 1975-10-11 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ (Early)
- 1975-10-02 Uptown Theatre, Milwaukee, WI
- 1975-09-27 Ambassador Theatre, St. Louis, MO
- 1975-09-25 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
- 1975-09-23 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1975-09-21 Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN
- 1975-09-20 Darby Gymnasium, Grinnell, IA
- 1975-09-16 Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
- 1975-09-14 Music Hall, Houston, TX
- 1975-09-13 Music Hall, Houston, TX
- 1975-09-12 Municipal Auditorium, Austin, TX
- 1975-09-06 Theatre Of Performing Arts, New Orleans, LA
- 1975-08-17 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Late)
- 1975-08-17 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Early)
- 1975-08-16 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Early)
- 1975-08-15 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Late)
- 1975-08-15 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Early)
- 1975-08-14 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Early)
- 1975-08-13 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Late)
- 1975-08-13 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY (Early)
- 1975-08-02 Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA
- 1975-08-01 Mosque (The), Richmond, VA
- 1975-07-30 Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Washington, DC
- 1975-07-26 Keystone Hall, Kutztown, PA
- 1975-07-25 Keystone Hall, Kutztown, PA
- 1975-07-23 Music Inn (The), Stockbridge, MA
- 1975-07-20 Palace Concert Theater, Providence, RI
- 1975-03-09 DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
- 1975-02-19 University Auditorium, University Park, PA
- 1975-02-18 John Carroll Gym, Cleveland, OH
- 1975-02-06 Widener Field House, Chester, PA
- 1975-02-05 Main Point (The), Bryn Mawr, PA
Performed multiple times during the following shows:
Released on Born To Run (1975), Greatest Hits (1995), The Essential (2003), and Collection:1973–2012 (2013).
Live versions are released on Live-1975–85 (1986)/Blinded By The Light (Soundtrack, 2019) (recorded October 18, 1975), In Concert: MTV XXPlugged (1992) (recorded September 22, 1992), Hungry Heart (Single, 1995)/Secret Garden (Single, 1995) (recorded April 5, 1995), Waitin' On A Sunny Day (Single, 2003) (recorded June 27/30, 2000), Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 (2006) (recorded November 18, 1975), and Springsteen On Broadway (2018) (recorded July 17/18, 2018).
Live versions are available on the following official live downloads:
- 2017-02-25 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2017-02-21 AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand
- 2017-02-18 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
- 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2017-02-11 Hanging Rock, Mt. Macedon, Australia
- 2017-02-09 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2017-02-07 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2017-02-04 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2017-01-30 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- 2017-01-25 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2016-09-05 Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
- 2016-08-25 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2016-07-26 Granåsen Arena, Trondheim, Norway
- 2016-07-20 CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark
- 2016-07-16 Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
- 2016-07-13 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
- 2016-07-11 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
- 2016-07-09 Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
- 2016-07-03 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- 2016-06-25 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-06-22 Telia Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2016-06-19 Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
- 2016-06-17 Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
- 2016-06-14 Malieveld, The Hague, The Netherlands
- 2016-06-05 Wembley Stadium, London, England
- 2016-06-03 Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
- 2016-06-01 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- 2016-05-29 Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
- 2016-05-27 Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
- 2016-05-25 Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
- 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2016-05-17 Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- 2016-05-14 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
- 2016-04-25 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- 2016-04-23 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- 2016-04-20 Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD
- 2016-04-18 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA
- 2016-04-14 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI
- 2016-04-12 Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
- 2016-04-07 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
- 2016-04-05 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- 2016-04-03 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
- 2016-03-31 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
- 2016-03-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2016-03-24 KeyArena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
- 2016-03-22 Moda Center, Portland, OR
- 2016-03-19 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-17 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-15 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-13 Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
- 2016-03-10 Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ
- 2016-03-06 Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO
- 2016-03-03 BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
- 2016-02-29 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
- 2016-02-27 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
- 2016-02-25 First Niagara Center, Buffalo, NY
- 2016-02-23 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
- 2016-02-21 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
- 2016-02-18 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
- 2016-02-16 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
- 2016-02-12 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016-02-10 XL Center, Hartford, CT
- 2016-02-08 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
- 2016-02-04 TD Garden, Boston, MA
- 2016-02-02 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
- 2016-01-31 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
- 2016-01-29 Verizon Center, Washington, DC
- 2016-01-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2016-01-19 United Center, Chicago, IL
- 2016-01-16 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2014-05-17 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
- 2014-05-14 Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
- 2014-05-13 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
- 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
- 2014-05-01 MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
- 2014-04-29 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
- 2014-04-24 PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
- 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- 2014-04-12 Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
- 2014-03-02 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-02-26 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2014-02-23 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
- 2014-02-22 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
- 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2014-02-12 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- 2014-02-11 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2014-02-07 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2014-02-05 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2014-02-01 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2014-01-29 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2014-01-26 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2013-07-24 First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
- 2013-07-11 Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy
- 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2012-03-09 Apollo Theater, New York City, NY
- 2009-11-22 HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY
- 2009-10-20 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 2008-08-23 Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
- 2003-06-16 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2000-07-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1999-10-23 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
- 1999-09-30 United Center, Chicago, IL
- 1999-09-25 First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
- 1993-06-24 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1992-07-25 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1990-11-17 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
- 1990-11-16 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
- 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-08-20 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-05 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1981-07-09 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1981-06-05 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1980-12-31 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1980-12-29 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1979-09-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1979-09-21 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-12-16 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- 1978-12-15 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- 1978-12-08 Summit (The), Houston, TX
- 1978-09-30 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- 1978-09-20 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-19 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-08-09 Agora (The), Cleveland, OH
- 1978-07-07 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA
- 1977-02-08 Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY
- 1977-02-07 Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
- 1975-12-31 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA
- 1975-11-24 Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
- 1975-10-18 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA (Early)
CHRISSIE'S SONG - V1 | uncirculating | |
ANGELINA - V2 | uncirculating | |
THUNDER ROAD - V3a | 4:39 | BIS / WAR / ET / BWNH / BTRCS |
THUNDER ROAD - V3b | 5:12 | BTRS / BTRO |
THUNDER ROAD - V4 | 4:35 | BIS / WAR / ET / BWNH / BTRS / BTRCS |
THUNDER ROAD - V5 | 5:03 | ESR / BTRS |
THUNDER ROAD - V6 | 5:22 | WAR / BWNH / BTRS / BTRCS / UBTROC |
THUNDER ROAD - V7 | 4:45 | BORN TO RUN / ESSENTIAL / GREATEST |
Note: According to Backstreets: Springsteen, The Man And His Music by Charles R. Cross, a 1972 song called "Angelina" contains the first two lines of "Thunder Road". This may have been the basis of a solo recording from October 1974 at 914 Sound Studios of "Chrissie's Song" (or this was a new composition), which includes the line "Leave what you’ve lost, leave what’s grown cold, Thunder Road." Some time between November 1974 and January 1975, Bruce took "Chrissie", lyrics from "Walking In The Street", and combined them into "Angelina" V2, possibly also known as "Wings For Wheels", the bootleg title of contemporary performances. Sometime after March 9 (the last time "Wings" appeared on a set list), Bruce took the music he had written for "Walking In The Street", and patched it on to the end of "Angelina"/"Wings For Wheels"; now his new lyric "this is a town for losers, I'm pulling out of here to win" was followed by the new instrumentral outro. The lines "the night's bustin' open, these two lanes will take us anywhere" and a poster for a 1958 Robert Mitchum movie in the lobby of a movie theater, provided the final ingredients for "Thunder Road".
April 13, 1975 was the day Jon Landau officially joined the album #3 production team. Louis Lahav, chief engineer, and his wife Suki, the violin player, quit and returned to their native Israel in late March. Jimmy Iovine reported to work at the Record Plant on April 18, after Landau was instructed to find better accommodations. "Thunder Road" and "Jungleland" were the first two songs recorded that day, and three versions of "Thunder Road", recorded over April 18–19 and 23, 1975, would later leak out on bootlegs. V3a is a full-band version, the girl is now Chrissie, and ends with the build up, instrumental outro, two refrains led by Clarence, to a full ending with no fadeout. V3b has two extra refrains for an extra long ending. The lyrics are getting there, but the guitar is not yet talking, and "Leave what you've lost, leave what's grown cold, Thunder Road" from "Chrissie's Song" is still there. V4 is a haunting acoustic solo version, the girl is now Christina, but otherwise no lyrical changes. V5, released on E Street Radio, is from April 23, starts with Roy Bittan's piano, base rhythm and Bruce's vocal and guitar (no organ or sax). "Leave what you've lost, leave what's grown cold" now replaced with "Sit tight, take hold." The final refrain is led by piano, with Bruce's overdubbed guitar. V6, recorded, or at least overdubbed, on July 15 or 16, and is almost ready to open Born To Run. This take opens with saxophone and Roy's piano, the latter which is featured in the first two minutes, Bruce's now awesome vocal, introduces us to Mary, and dominated by guitar. The long outro mixes guitar, sax and piano just like the album, and has seven refrains, though one variation only has five. V7 now has piano and harmonica opening without sax, glock, the talking guitar and Mary, and after twelve hours mixing and dubbing guitars, was completed on July 16, 1975, with Mike Appel on background vocals.
Studio Sessions: Born To Run
Thunder Road |
The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks
Oh oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
Tonight we'll be free, all the promises will be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win
Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song. |
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