"The Thunder Rolls" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Garth Brooks. It was released in April 1991 as the fourth and final single from his album No Fences. "The Thunder Rolls" became his sixth number one on the country chart.

It was originally recorded by Tanya Tucker, but was never released until it appeared on her self-titled 1995 box set. Her version included a third verse which Brooks himself intended to use on his version but did not at the suggestion of producer Allen Reynolds. A modernized version was recorded by Jet Black Stare, but without the third verse.

This song also appears on Brooks' albums The Hits, The Limited Series, Double Live and The Ultimate Hits.

The first verse talks about a man driving home in torrential rain from "somewhere that he never should have been". His wife is waiting at home for his return "praying it's the weather that's kept him out all night".

When the man does return (in the second verse), the woman rushes out to meet him only to smell a perfume on his person, implying that he was with another woman. At this point in time, the lyrics "the thunder rolls" no longer refers to literal lightning and thunder surrounding the pair, but the anger in her heart has reached a boiling point, which is mentioned in the third verse.

The original recorded version does not include the song's original third verse, most likely due to its graphic nature (the verse hints that the woman plans to kill him or herself due to his infidelity). However, Brooks performs the third verse when he sings the song in concert, so a version containing the third verse can be found on Brooks' album Double Live.

The verse goes as follows:

She runs back down the hallway and through the bedroom door
She reaches for the pistol kept in the dresser drawer
Tells the lady in the mirror he won't do this again
'Cause tonight will be the last time, she'll wonder where he's been

"The Thunder Rolls" was written by Garth Brooks and Pat Alger. The original idea was Brooks', as he wanted to explore the concept of "thunder rolling inside of a marriage and outside at the same time". Almost immediately after hearing this hook, Alger grabbed a guitar and started playing what Brooks described as a "D-minor rolling thing."

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Wikipedia