Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by the highway in a ditch He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick Got his car door flung open he's standin' out on Highway 31 Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run Struck me kinda funny seem kinda funny sir to me Still at the end of every hard day people find some reason to believe Now Mary Lou loved Johnny with a love mean and true She said "Baby I'll work for you every day, bring my money home to you" One day he up and left her and ever since that She waits down at the end of that dirt road for young Johnny to come back Struck me kinda funny, funny yeah to me How at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe Take a baby to the river, Kyle William they called him Wash the baby in the water, take away little Kyle's sin In a whitewash shotgun shack an old man passes away Take his body to the graveyard and over him they pray Lord won't you tell us, tell us what does it mean At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe Congregation gathers down by the riverside Preacher stands with a Bible, groom stands waitin' for his bride Congregation gone, the sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on, so effortlessly Wonderin' where can his baby be Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe