Thunder Road

At night the horsepower shakes the tyres around the wheels of chrome,

And sends this sled of fire and steel towards the lights of home;

Gears that whine a lonesome song as miles pass on by,

Stacks that crack and scream for fuel to throw into the sky.

Endlessly the thunder pounds, he counts another town,

And lightening strikes his very soul each time the hammer’s down.

A dark and frantic highway, yet he knows he’s not alone:

The crackle of the scanners chant, the ringing of the phone,

The red lights in the distance, the headlights right behind;

Too many hours ridin’ hard are messin’ with his mind.

Call the shoot, “all dark” to let another vehicle past,

“All back in line”, back on the gas, his concentration fast;

For the timid have no place here, this life desires the brave—

And any lapse in focus sends you promptly to your grave.