Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Thunder Road

"Thunder Road" off the Born To Run album (1975) has probably got my favourite set of lyrics ever written. Springsteen's story about Mary and her boyfriend and their "last chance to make it real" is a masterclass in poetry. The sense of place is incredible, just listen to the opening lines, and you're immediately drawn in:

"The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
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"

Further into the song there are several more strokes of genius to put it mildly: "You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're alright", "Thunder Road, lying out there like a killer in the sun", and of course "the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets". Wow!

Watch and listen