The festival was over, the boys were all plannin' for a fall
D
G
D
G
D
The cabaret was quiet except for the drillin' in the wall
G
D
A
D
The curfew had been lifted and the gamblin' wheel shut down
G
D
A
Anyone with any sense had already left town
D
A
G
D
He was standin' in the doorway looking like the Jack of Hearts
He moved across the mirrored room, "Set it up for everyone," he said
Then everyone commenced to do what they were doin' before he turned their heads
Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin
"Could you kindly tell me, friend, what time the show begins?"
Then he moved into the corner, face down like the Jack of Hearts
Backstage the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs
Lily had two queens, she was hopin' for a third to match her pair
Outside the streets were fillin' up, the window was open wide
A gentle breeze was blowin', you could feel it from inside
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts
Big Jim was no one's fool, he owned the town's only diamond mine
He made his usual entrance looking so dandy and so fine
With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place
He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste
But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts
Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town
She slipped in through the side door looking like a queen without a crown
She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear
"Sorry, darlin', that I'm late," but he didn't seem to hear
He was starin' into space over at the Jack of Hearts
"I know I've seen that face before," Big Jim was thinkin' to himself
"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf"
But then the crowd began to stamp their feet and the house lights did dim
And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him
Starin' at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts
Lily was a princess, she was fair-skinned and precious as a child
She did whatever she had to do, she had that certain flash every time she smiled
She'd come away from a broken home, had lots of strange affairs
With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere
But she'd never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts
The hangin' judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined
The drillin' in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind
It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring
And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king
No, nothin' ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts
Rosemary started drinkin' hard and seein' her reflection in the knife
She was tired of the attention, tired of playin' the role of Big Jim's wife
She had done a lot of bad things, even once tried suicide
Was looking to do just one good deed before she died
She was gazin' to the future, riding on the Jack of Hearts
Lily washed her face, took her dress off and buried it away
"Has your luck run out?" she laughed at him
"Well, I guess you must have known it would someday
Be careful not to touch the wall, there's a brand new coat of paint
I'm glad to see you're still alive, you're looking like a saint"
Down the hallway footsteps were comin' for the Jack of Hearts
The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair
"There's something funny going on," he said, "I can just feel it in the air"
He went to get the hangin' judge, but the hangin' judge was drunk
As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk
There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts
Additional verse from New York recording:
Lily's arms were locked around the man that she dearly loved to touch
She forgot all about the man she couldn't stand who hounded her so much
"I've missed you so," she said to him, and he felt she was sincere
But just beyond the door he felt jealousy and fear
Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts
No one knew the circumstance but they say that it happened pretty quick
The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked
And Big Jim was standin' there, you couldn't say surprised
Rosemary right beside him, steady in her eyes
She was with Big Jim but she was leanin' to the Jack of Hearts
Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall
And cleaned out the bank safe, It's said they got off quite a haul
In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground
For one more member who had business back in town
But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts
The next day was hangin' day, the sky was overcast and black
Big Jim lay covered up, killed by a penknife in the back
And Rosemary on the gallows, she didn't even blink
The hangin' judge was sober, he hadn't had a drink
The only person on the scene missin' was the Jack of Hearts
The cabaret was empty now, a sign said, "Closed for repair"
Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair
She was thinkin' 'bout her father, who she very rarely saw
Thinkin' 'bout Rosemary and thinkin' about the law
But most of all she was thinkin' 'bout the Jack of Hearts
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
F
G
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
C
/b
F
Hey, that's me and I want you only
C
F
G
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't 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
C
Am
You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
C
F
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
C
Em
Waste your summer praying in vain
F
G
For a saviour to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, 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 busting open and these two lanes will take us anywhere
We've 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
Oh-oh come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh-oh Thunder Road
Oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
Oh-oh Thunder Road
F
G7
C
Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road
F
G
F
C
F
C
F
Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
Am
Em
F
G
My car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
F
G
From your front porch to my front seat
Em
Am
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
F
Dm
F
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
G
C
But tonight we'll be free, all the promises will be broken
C
F
C
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
C
G
F
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
F
G
They scream your name at night in the street
C
/b
F
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
Em
F
And in the lonely cool before dawn you hear their engines roaring on
Dm
G
F
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind
Dm
So Mary climb in
F
G
C
It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win
C
G
C
F
C
Em
F
G
The screen door slams, Angelina's dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
That's me, babe, and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I can't face myself alone in that mirror again tonight
Don't run back inside, baby, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe you ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but baby, oh, you're alright
And that's alright with me
This 442, she's gonna overheat
Make up your mind, girl, I gotta get her back out on the street
I know you're lonely like me so, baby don't try and fake it
I'm no prince and I can't lay the stars at your feet
But I got this old car and she's pretty tough to beat
There's plenty of room in my front seat, baby if you wanna take it
Oh roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
It's like the rushing touch of dirty wings them highway angels wear
Well tonight we're gonna find out how it feels
I'm gonna trade in your wings for wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks
Ah, mama, come take my hand
We're gonna ride all the way to the promised land
Oh I'm gonna dance all the way, dance all the way
Well I don't know but baby I've been told
There's something waiting for us down that dirty road
Oh take a chance, take a chance, take a chance
Well now I bought this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
I got my car parked out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
Well I think we could take it all babe, just you and me
Climb in back baby, the ride's for free
Oh come take my hand
We're gonna ride all the way to the promised land
We'll dance all the way
Oh baby I don't know but I've been told
There's something waiting for us down that dirty road
If we take our chance, take our chance
Now the season's over and I feel it getting cold
I wish I could take you to some sandy beach where we'd never grow old
Ah but baby you know that's just jive
But tonight's bustin' open and I'm alive
Oh do whatever you can to make me feel like a man
But this 442's gonna overheat
Make up your mind girl, I gotta get her back out on the street
I know you're lonely like me, oh so don't fake it
And maybe I can't lay the stars at your feet
But I got this old car and she's pretty tough to beat
There's plenty of room in my front seat, oh if you think you can make it
Climb in...
This is a town full of losers
And baby I was born to win!
