The Debate Over Wording In Bruce Springsteen's 'Thunder Road' Is Settled
NPR
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or
Flash plugin.
Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
The song begins: "A screen door slams, Mary's dress ... and, what is Mary's dress doing: swaying or waving. The Boss's co-producer Jon Landau told The New Yorker that the correct word is "sways."
Transcript
A MARTINEZ, HOST:
Good morning. I'm A Martinez. Listen to the beginning of this Bruce Springsteen song.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "THUNDER ROAD")
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) The screen door slams. Mary's dress sways.
MARTINEZ: What is Mary's dress doing? Is it swaying or waving? The debate over this classic mondegreen in "Thunder Road" may finally be settled. The Boss's co-producer Jon Landau told The New Yorker the word is sways. That's what Bruce's original notebooks say, and that's how he sang the song. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
View this story on npr.org