The Influence Of Roy Orbison On Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road”

The Influence Of Roy Orbison On Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” | I Love Classic Rock Videos

Bruce Springsteen for "Born To Run" - Bruce Springsteen / Youtube

Bruce Springsteen, whose career spans more than half a century and who penned classics such as “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born to Run,” and “Born in the USA,” is universally recognized as one of the most influential musicians of all time.

The album’s production was no picnic for the artist. Springsteen intended the album’s early drafts to resemble the sound of Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound records, which he had first heard when he was a child. He was spending a lot of time and effort, as well as money, in the studio as he worked to finish the record.

There was no better venue than “Thunder Road” for his grandiose declaration. “What I hoped it would be was the sense of a larger life, greater experience, sense of fun, the sense that your personal exploration and possibilities were all lying somewhere inside of you,” Springsteen told Songfacts.

Springsteen, over the track, is trying to convince his girlfriend, Mary, to leave their quiet suburb and come with him to see the sights. Talking about life beyond their small community, he reflected on the great Roy Orbison and his music. A radio plays Orbison’s “Only the Lonely” while Springsteen discusses leaving his hometown. To those who have experienced heartache, the late musician’s finest breakup song may seem all too familiar: it expresses the sentiment that only other lonely people can understand the pain he feels after picking his heart up off the floor. And yes, even the Boss could adhere to that.

Listen to the song below.