Ballad of Thunder Road
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 Revenuers 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 first of April, 1954
A federal man sent word he'd better make his run no more
He said, "Two-hundred 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 100 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 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
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, there 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
Law they never got him 'cause the devil got him first
(Thunder, thunder, thunder, oh)