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Ballad of Thunder Road Lyrics by Jim & Jesse

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Now let me tell a 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
And when his engine roared, they called the highway thunder road
Sometimes into Ashville, sometimes Memphis Town
The revenuers, they 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
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, 1954
The federal man sent word, he better make his run no more
He said 200 agents were covering the state
Whichever road he'd try to take, they'd get him sure as fate
"Son", his daddy told him, "Now make this run your last
Your 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"
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
Roaring out of Harlan, revving up his mill
He shot the gap at Cumberland and screamed through Maynardville
With G-men on his tail light, 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 Bearden, 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
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
Credits
Jim & Jesse

Jim & Jesse

About “Ballad of Thunder Road” by Jim & Jesse

Read the complete lyrics to "Ballad of Thunder Road" by Jim & Jesse. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Ballad of Thunder Road" is performed by Jim & Jesse. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Ballad of Thunder Road", explore more songs by Jim & Jesse using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ballad of Thunder Road" is credited to Jim & Jesse. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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