Reason to Believe
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Lyrics

Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by the highway in a ditch
There was a man standing over a lifeless dog that was lying by the side of the road

He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick
He was staring at the dog with confusion and poking it with a stick

Got his car door flung open he's standin' out on Highway 31
The man had opened the door of his car and was standing on the highway

Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run
He seemed to believe that the dog would miraculously get up and start running if he kept standing there

Struck me kinda funny seem kinda funny sir to me
This strange behavior of finding hope in unlikely situations caught my attention

At the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Despite the difficulties they face in life, people always manage to find hope or faith to keep going

Now Mary Lou loved Johnny with a love mean and true
Mary Lou was deeply in love with Johnny and had genuine feelings for him

She said 'Baby I'll work for you every day and bring my money home to you'
Mary Lou promised Johnny to work hard every day and bring money home to him

One day he up and left her and ever since that
But one day, Johnny left her without any explanation

She waits down at the end of that dirt road for young Johnny to come back
Since then, Mary Lou has been waiting for Johnny to return at the end of the dirt road

Struck me kinda funny seemed kind of funny sir to me
The thought of waiting for someone who might never return seemed absurd to me

How at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
But then again, people still hold onto hope even in desperate situations

Take a baby to the river Kyle William they called him
A baby named Kyle William was given a bath in the river

Wash the baby in the water take away little Kyle's sin
The cleansing water was supposed to wash away the baby's sins

In a whitewash shotgun shack an old man passes away
An old man died in a small, run-down house

Take his body to the graveyard and over him they pray
They prayed over the old man's body as they took him to the graveyard

Lord won't you tell us tell us what does it mean
They were questioning the meaning of life and why things happen the way they do

Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Despite the many unanswered questions about life, people still find hope or faith to hold on

Congregation gathers down by the riverside
A group of people gathered by the river

Preacher stands with his Bible groom stands waitin' for his bride
A preacher was standing with his Bible while the groom waited for his bride

Congregation gone and the sun sets behind a weepin' willow tree
After the group left, the sun set behind a weeping willow tree

Groom stands alone and watches the river rush on so effortlessly
The groom was left alone, watching the river flow peacefully

Lord and he's wonderin' where can his baby be
He was thinking about his bride and wondering where she could be

Still at the end of every hard earned day people find some reason to believe
Despite feeling lost or uncertain, people still find hope or faith to guide them