My Night on Thunder Road .... A Parody
A profession that's not the norm.
It borders on the absurd.
In the mountains and down the hollers,
powerful engines could always be heard.
I decided to try something new.
Put my driving skills to the test.
Driving from Harlan County to Asheville,
It didn't end well, as you might have guessed.
The city fathers got together,
figuring how to make all this work.
Everyone involved in this illegal trade,
from the mayor to the town clerk.
The hillbillies brew the dew.
Most of it safe, but some burns red.
Uncle Jessie decided to try it once.
His eyes rolled back and he dropped dead.
Billie Ray had a hot rod '50 Ford.
Once was a race car, lost more than it won.
We popped the trunk, man it was huge.
It was perfect for the nightly Asheville run.
In the trunk was a steel tank.
Loaded hooch made the car ride low.
Truck springs took care of the problem.
Now the truck no longer hauls cargo.
Beneath the rear bumper were nozzles.
A switch inside made the oil flow.
When a revenuer was chasing you,
in the rearview, was quite the show.
I always wanted to drive.
Thought this life would be exciting.
Told to keep away from this game.
It's dangerous while hauling white lightning.
Blazing out of Harlan County.
At first, it went fairly smooth.
Problems I planned for didn't happen.
I got settled into a groove.
Bo Duke, he would've been proud,
when I jumped the gap at Cumberland.
Crossed the stream at Maynardville.
The engine died, it's not going as planned.
I finally got it restarted.
Pretended I was driving the Grand Prix.
Ahead, I saw the tail lights of the g-man.
Oh snap! they're supposed to be chasing me.
I pulled off the exit for Knoxville.
Checked the map and found Kingston Pike.
I heard this in a song before.
Outside of Bearden, they were planning to strike.
Kept going in spite of the tune.
There they were, waiting to spring.
Blocking the road, no way to get by,
I lost control and spun into this electrical thing.
The car quickly caught fire.
The door was jammed, options were few.
It was like an atom bomb going off,
when the flames caught the Mountain Dew.
The next night, my funeral was held.
They played a song about some bird in a tree.
The car lights, they stretched for miles,
This life I guess was not for me.
R. S. Morris
