The Ballad of Thunder Road - From Thunder Road 1958

Let me tell the story, I can tell it all

About the mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol

His daddy made the whiskey, the son he drove the load

When his engine roared, they called the highway "Thunder Road"

Sometimes into Asheville, sometimes Memphis town

The Revenues 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 standing still on "Thunder Road"

And there was thunder, thunder over "Thunder Road"

Thunder was his engine and white lightening was his load

And 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 1st of April 1954

The federal man sent word, he'd better make his run no more

He said, "200 agents were covering the state

Which ever road he tried to take they'd get him sure as fate"

"Son," his daddy told him, "Make this run your last

The tank is filled with a 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"

And there was thunder, thunder over "Thunder Road"

Thunder was his engine and white lightning was his load

And there was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst

The law, they swore they'ed get him, but the devil got him first

Roaring out of Harlan, revving up his mill

He shot the gap at Cumberland and streamed by Maynardville

With G men on his tail light, road block up ahead

The mountain boy took roads that even angels fear to tread

Blazing right through Knoxville, out on Kingston Pike

Then right outside of Bearden, they made the fatal strike

He left the road at 90, that's all there is to say

The devil got the moonshine and the mountain boy that day

And there was thunder, thunder over "Thunder Road"

Thunder was his engine and white lightening was his load

And there was moonshine, moonshine to quench the devil's thirst

The law, they never got him 'cause the devil got him first