Ballad of Thunder Road

Now let me tell a story and I can tell it all
It's about a mountain boy who ran illegal alcohol
His daddy made the moonshine while he drove the load
And when his engine roared they called the highway Thunder Road

Sometimes into Asheville, sometimes Memphis town
The revenuers chased him but they could not run him down
Just when they thought they had him, his engine would explode
And he'd blow by while they were standing still on Thunder Road

And there was thunder, thunder on that Thunder Road
Thunder was his engine white lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine, quench the old devil's thirst
The G men swore they'd get him but the devil got him first

Roaring out of Harlan went the whippoorwill
He shot the gap at Cumberland and screamed through Maynardsville
With G men, oh, his taillights and roadblocks up ahead
That mountain boy took roads that even angels fear to thread

Blazin' right through Knoxville on down Kingston Pike
It was just outside of Bearden where they made that fatal strike
He left the road at ninety that's all there is to tell
The devil sent the moonshine and the driver straight to hell

And there was thunder, thunder on that Thunder Road
Thunder was his engine white, lightning was his load
There was moonshine, moonshine, quench the old devil's thirst
Yeah, the G men swore they'd get him but the devil got him first