HERE'S THE CHORDED VERSION ON THUNDER ROAD
TRANSPOSED BY RICK BENSON
THE BALLAD OF THUNDER ROAD
BY ROBERT MITCHUM
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NOW LET ME TELL THE STORY, I CAN TELL IT ALL
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ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN BOY WHO RAN ILLEGAL ALCOHOL
HIS DADDY MADE THE WHISKEY, SON, HE DROVE THE LOAD
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WHEN HIS ENGINE ROARED,
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THEY CALLED THE HIGHWAY THUNDER ROAD.
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SOMETIMES INTO ASHVILLE, SOMETIMES MEMPHIS TOWN
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THE REVENOORS CHASED HIM BUT THEY COULDN'T RUN HIM
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DOWN
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EACH TIME THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD HIM,
HIS ENGINE WOULD EXPLODE
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HE'D GO BY LIKE THEY WERE STANDIN' STILL ON THUNDER
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ROAD.
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AND THERE WAS THUNDER, THUNDER OVER THUNDER ROAD
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THUNDER WAS HIS ENGINE, AND WHITE LIGHTNING WAS HIS
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LOAD
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THERE WAS MOONSHINE, MOONSHINE TO QUENCH THE DEVIL'S THIRST
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THE LAW THEY SWORE THEY'D GET HIM, BUT THE DEVIL GOT
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HIM FIRST.
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ON THE FIRST OF APRIL, NINETEEN FIFTY-FOUR
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A FEDERAL MAN SENT WORD HE'D BETTER MAKE HIS RUN NO
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MORE
HE SAID TWO HUNDRED AGENTS WERE COVERIN' THE STATE
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WHICHEVER ROAD HE TRIED TO TAKE, THEY'D GET HIM SURE AS
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FATE.
SON, HIS DADDY TOLD HIM, MAKE THIS RUN YOUR LAST
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YOUR TANK IS FILLED WITH HUNDRED-PROOF,
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YOU'RE ALL TUNED UP AND GASSED
NOW, DON'T TAKE ANY CHANCES, IF YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH
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I'D RATHER HAVE YOU BACK AGAIN THAN ALL THAT MOUNTAIN
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DEW
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ROARIN' OUT OF HARLAN, REVVING' UP HIS MILL
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HE SHOT THE GAP AT CUMBERLAND,
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AND SCREAMED BY MAYNORDSVILLE
WITH G-MEN ON HIS TAILLIGHTS, ROADBLOCKS UP AHEAD
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THE MOUNTAIN BOY TOOK ROADS THAT EVEN ANGELS FEARED
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TO TREAD.
BLAZING' RIGHT THROUGH KNOXVILLE, OUT ON KINGSTON PIKE
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THEN RIGHT OUTSIDE OF BEARDON, THEY MADE THE FATAL
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STRIKE
HE LEFT THE ROAD AT NINETY, THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO SAY
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THE DEVIL GOT THE MOONSHINE AND THE MOUNTAIN BOY
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THAT DAY
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