The Ballad Of Thunder Road lyrics by Robert Mitchum, 4 meanings. The Ballad Of Thunder Road explained, official 2024 song lyrics | LyricsMode.com
Request & respond explanations
  • Don't understand the meaning of the song?
  • Highlight lyrics and request an explanation.
  • Click on highlighted lyrics to explain.
Robert Mitchum – The Ballad Of Thunder Road lyrics
Now let me tell the story, I can tell it all
About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol
His daddy made the whiskey, son, he drove the load
When his engine roared,
They called the highway thunder road.
Sometimes into ashville, sometimes memphis town
The revenoors 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 standin' still on thunder
Road
.

[Chorus:]
And 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, nineteen fifty-four
A federal man sent word he'd better make his run no
More
He said two hundred agents were coverin' the state
Whichever road he tried to take, they'd get him sure as
Fate.
Son, his daddy told him, make this run your last
Your tank is filled with 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

[Chorus:]

Roarin' out of harlan, revving' up his mill
He shot the gap at cumberland,
And screamed by maynordsville
With g-men on his taillights, 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 Beardon, 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

[Chorus:]
×



Lyrics taken from /lyrics/r/robert_mitchum/the_ballad_of_thunder_road.html

  • Email
  • Correct
Songwriters: Don Raye, Robert Mitchum
The Ballad Of Thunder Road lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Corrected by Michael D'Arezzo

The Ballad Of Thunder Road meanings

  • U
    + 13
    Unregistered
    I’m from Knoxville, Tennessee, and for those that aren’t familiar with the the term “Mtn. Dew”, it pertains to moonshine in the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. The carbonated non-alcoholic Mtn Dew drink later on was named after the slang moonshine name. It was NOT Mtn “Brew” like mentioned in one of the comments.
    Add your reply
  • d
    + 3
    dbruce99
    ""Mountain Dew" was originally Southern and/or Scots/Irish slang for moonshine (i.e., homemade whiskey). Using it as the name for the soda was originally suggested by Carl E. Retzke at an Owens-Illinois Inc. meeting in Toledo, Ohio, and was first trademarked by Ally and Barney Hartman in the 1940s."
    Add your reply
  • U
    - 1
    Unregistered
    Not too sure where Unregistered gets his/her info BUT Mtn Dew the soft drink was invented in 1940 and reinvented in 1988. The Ballad of Thunder Road was cowritten by Robert Mitchem in 1958. So the soft drink pre dated the song by 18 years. The song was also the theme song of the movie Thunder Road.
    Add your reply
  • U
    - 2
    Unregistered
    The correct word should be "brew", since the song pre-dates the creation of the soft drink 'Mountain Dew' by a couple of decades. Yes, they used the formula to off set the 'burn/roughness' of moonshine, but it wasn't called 'Mtn. Dew' at that time. Plus, the feds wouldn't be chasing a car with a load of something non-alcoholic.
    Add your reply
    View -1 more meanings

    Write about your feelings and thoughts about The Ballad Of Thunder Road

    Know what this song is about? Does it mean anything special hidden between the lines to you? Share your meaning with community, make it interesting and valuable. Make sure you've read our simple tips.
    U
    Min 50 words
    Not bad
    Good
    Awesome!

    Top meanings Post my meaning

    • U
      + 13
      Unregistered
      I’m from Knoxville, Tennessee, and for those that aren’t familiar with the the term “Mtn. Dew”, it... Read more →
    • d
      + 3
      dbruce99
      ""Mountain Dew" was originally Southern and/or Scots/Irish slang for moonshine (i.e., homemade... Read more →

    official video

    0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z