I recently had a video of me performing Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Thunder Road’ reviewed in PC World magazine, of all places! It was picked up by an American guy on YouTube who write reviews for them for videos of songs that apparently put the message of the song across better than the original! A bold statement, but you can read his reasoning for yourself here –
After that the video got a spurt in publicity, and a lot of people have been asking me to write the tab on how to play it. So here it is, written in my blog. Hope you enjoy learning to play it.
The original is in the key of F, but I play it in E. I play it like this to get the inversions of the chords that I want. The top E and B strings are left open throughout the whole piece (pretty much).
Intro – E Asus2 E
E Emaj7 (The Emaj7 is a G#m shape on the 4th fret with the top E and B open) Asus2 (played in the same position as an A barre chord (5th fret) but with the top E and B open) B add11 (again, this chord is the B barre shape (7th fret) with the top B and E left open)
For the rest of the chords I will follow the lyrics.
During the verse I play the Asus2 and the Badd11 at the bottom of the guitar neck. I only play the barre versions in the run ups in the intro and chorus.
E Asus2 E
Well, the screen door slams, as Mary's dress waves
Badd11 Asus2
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Badd11
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
E Asus2
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't send me home again
E Badd11
I just can't face myself alone again
E Asus2 E (start strumming here)
Don't run back inside, darling you know what I'm here for
Badd11 Asus2
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Badd11
Well show a little faith, there's magic in the night
E Asus2
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
E Badd11
Oh and that's alright with me
E C#m7 (play as a C#m barre (9th fret)with B and E strings open again)
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
E Asus2 E
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Emaj7 Asus2 Badd11
Waste your summer praying in vain for a saviour to rise from these streets
E C#m7
Well I'm no hero, no that's understood
E Asus2 E
Only redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
Emaj7
With a chance to make it good somehow
Asus2 Badd11
Hey what else can we do now
E Asus2 E
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Badd11 Asus2
This night's bustin' open, these two lanes can take us anywhere
Badd11
We got one last chance to make it real
E Asus2
To trade in these wings on some wheels
E Badd11
So climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks
E C#m7
Oh oh come take my hand
E Asus2 E
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Emaj7 Asus2 Badd11
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
E C#m7
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
E Asus2 E
Hey I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Emaj7 Asus2 Badd11 E
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, sit back, take hold, Thunder Road
Asus2 Badd11 E
Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
C#m7 Asus2 Badd11
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
Asus2 Badd11
From your front porch to my front seat
Emaj7 C#m7 (play 4th fret of the A string for convenience)
The car's open but the ride it ain't free
Asus2
And I know you're worried 'bout words I ain't spoken
Badd11
but tonight we'll be free, all the promises' be broken
E Asus2 E
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
Badd11 Asus2
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
Badd11
They call your name at night in the street
E Asus2
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
Emaj7 (slow down now)
And in the lonely cool before dawn
Asus2
You can hear their engines roaring on
F#m11 Badd11 Asus2 F#m11
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
Asus2 Badd11 E
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win
Finish with the same chords as the intro again.
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