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Ballad of Thunder Road Lyrics by Robert Mitchum

That Man, Robert Mitchum... Sings

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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;
And 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
It was on the first of April, Nineteen-Fifty-Four
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 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'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
Credits
Robert Mitchum

Robert Mitchum

About “Ballad of Thunder Road” by Robert Mitchum

Read the complete lyrics to "Ballad of Thunder Road" by Robert Mitchum from the album "That Man, Robert Mitchum... Sings". 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 Country.

"Ballad of Thunder Road" is performed by Robert Mitchum. from the album "That Man, Robert Mitchum... Sings" 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 Robert Mitchum 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 Robert Mitchum. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ballad of Thunder Road" appears on "That Man, Robert Mitchum... Sings".

Visit the Robert Mitchum artist page at /artist/robert-mitchum for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.