THUNDER ROAD

Live 22 Sep 1992 version

[Spoken intro:] Alright... Alright. Can I get any more water, is there... We're out of water, right? There's no more water left. (chuckles) I couldn't figure out like any of that stuff's at when I came out here... Flew all the way out west... If you can't ???, you can't watch ??? either. Can't flush your toilet. And that's when the earth is standing still! Shit! Everything is relative. That tastes so good. Alright Roy... Well, did they fly you guys from all over the states? Is that, is that the story then? Anybody from uh... the great state of New Jersey out there? (cheers) Oh, good Lord! Alright, this is for you then. (chuckles) This is for you. I thought they were just kidding.

Well the screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Well don't you run back inside, darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's busted open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks

Well oh oh come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Whoa oh oh oh Thunder Road, whoa Thunder Road, Thunder Road
It's lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late but we can make it if we run
Whoa oh oh Thunder Road, sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
And I know you're lonely, there's words that I ain't spoken
Tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
In the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers and we're pulling out of here to win

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 22 Sep 1992 performance of THUNDER ROAD at Warner Hollywood Studios (Stage #4) in Los Angeles, CA, during the taping of Springsteen's episode of MTV Unplugged. This was a stripped-down rendition with Bruce Springsteen playing guitar and harmonica, and accompanied only by Roy Bittan on keyboards. It was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992 and the corresponding audio album the following year.

MTV Plugged Concert

MTV Unplugged is a popular MTV series that began in the 1989/1990 TV season and first aired on 26 Nov 1989. Produced by Viacom and most frequently directed by Milton Lage and Beth McCarthy, the program showcases popular musicians primarily known for playing electric amplified instruments (usually the electric guitar and electric bass) performing live using only acoustic instruments.

MTV Unplugged logo

During a break in his World Tour 1992-1993, Bruce Springsteen was booked on 22 Sep 1992 for the taping of an episode of MTV Unplugged. The taping took place at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Springsteen opened the show with a solo acoustic version of RED HEADED WOMAN, but he then brought his 1992-93 touring band onstage, and in a twist on the program's theme, put the plug back in and played a full-band concert — though there were also stripped down renditions of GROWIN' UP and THUNDER ROAD. Reportedly Springsteen had been unhappy with the touring band's rehearsals of acoustic arrangements, and this was what led him to break the unplugged format.

Handwritten setlist for the 22 Sep 1992 show at Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, CA
(Taken from Brucebase)

Springsteen was the first to insist on an electric performance, and MTV executives were reportedly furious at his decision to abandon the acoustic format of the show. "When you have the chance to work with Bruce Springsteen, he can do what he wants," MTV Unplugged producer Alex Coletti told UK's Q magazine. "It was a fantastic show, and it still had a lot of Unplugged's feel. It was very small, very intimate, very loose, and that's all part of what makes Unplugged special. But it was very loud!" To make best of the situation, the "Un" was crossed out from "Unlugged", and the concert premiered on MTV on 11 Nov 1992 as MTV Plugged.

A VHS release of the show preceded any audio release, coming out on 15 Dec 1992. It was titled In Concert / MTV Plugged, with "Plugged" written as "UnPlugged" on the cover art. The concert was not released in its complete form, but the home video release included the complete broadcast in addition to two bonus tracks, LIVING PROOF and IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND. In Concert / MTV Plugged was also released on LaserDisc on 31 Jan 1993, which included all the tracks found on the VHS release, in addition to a third bonus track, ROLL OF THE DICE.

Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged (VHS, front)

Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged (USA LaserDisc, front)

Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged (Japan LaserDisc, front)

The audio album of the same title was released for a limited time in Europe (on CD, cassette, and double disc vinyl) on 12 Apr 1993 to promote the 1993 European (and final) leg of World Tour 1992-1993. It was not released in the United States until 26 Aug 1997. The album contains 13 tracks only, omitting five songs from the broadcast, but it includes the two bonus tracks from the VHS release.

Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged (album cover art)

In Concert / MTV Plugged was reissued on DVD on 09 Nov 2004. The DVD release includes the same 19 tracks found on the LaserDisc release.

Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged (DVD cover art)

The 22 Sep 1992 rehearsal and concert at Warner Hollywood Studios were commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Rehearsals

Digital album - Doxy Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2016

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 22 Sep 1992 rehearsal at Warner Hollywood Studios.

Bruce Springsteen -- September 22, 1992

Digital album - Lilith Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2016

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 22 Sep 1992 rehearsal at Warner Hollywood Studios.

Bruce Springsteen -- Unplugged 1992

4xCD - Digital Legends (DL 822) - UK, 2017

This release contains the 22 Sep 1992 rehearsal and concert at Warner Hollywood Studios.

Official Releases

In addition to its release on the MTV Plugged album and home video, the live 22 Sep 1992 performance of THUNDER ROAD was also released on the B-side of SECRET GARDEN in 1995, tying with the release of the Greatest Hits album. It was also included on several Secret Garden EPs that same year.

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (661281 2) - Australia, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN
02- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (661295 5) - Australia, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN [LP Version]
02- SECRET GARDEN [String Version]
03- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (661295 1) - Austria, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN
02- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (661295 1) - Austria, 1995

Austrian pressing (with sleeve printed in Holland) for exclusive distribution in France.

01- SECRET GARDEN
02- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD EP - Columbia (661295 5) - Austria, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
02- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
03- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (44.045/2-661295) - Brazil, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN
02- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (38K 77847) - Canada, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN
02- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD EP - Columbia (44K 77854) - Canada, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
02- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
03- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
05- PINK CADILLAC

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

7" single - Columbia (661295 7) - Holland, 1995

This Dutch pressing was issued with small (comes in a picture sleeve) and large center hole for jukebox use (comes either in picture sleeve or in plain white sleeve).

A1- SECRET GARDEN
B1- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

12" EP - Columbia (661295 6) - Holland, 1995

Believed to have been pressed for the Swedish market in limited quantities.

A1- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
A2- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
B1- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
B2- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

12" EP - Columbia (661295 6) - Holland, 1995

This is a withdrawn second Dutch pressing for exclusive distribution in France.

A1- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
A2- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
B1- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
B2- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD EP - Sony (SRCS 7632) - Japan, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
02- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
03- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
05- PINK CADILLAC
06- ROULETTE

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

MC EP - Sony (no catalog number) - Japan, 1995

One-sided promo tape.

A1- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
A2- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
A3- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
A4- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
A5- PINK CADILLAC
A6- ROULETTE

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

MC single - Columbia (661295 4) - UK, 1995

A1- SECRET GARDEN
B1- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

7" single - Columbia (38-77847) - USA, 1995

A1- SECRET GARDEN
B1- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

MC single - Columbia (38T 77847) - USA, 1995

A1- SECRET GARDEN
B1- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD single - Columbia (38K 77847) - USA, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN
02- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]

Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD EP - Columbia (44K 77854) - USA, 1995

01- SECRET GARDEN [LP version]
02- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
03- MURDER INCORPORATED [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
04- THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
05- PINK CADILLAC

Credits / References

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics and spoken intro help and Jyrki for the help with the official releases.

Request

Please contact me if you have scans or info about any official release containing the live 22 Sep 1992 version of THUNDER ROAD that's not mentioned on this page. Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of THUNDER ROAD on this website:

Page last updated: 10 Jul 2011