REASON TO BELIEVE^©

Live 15 May 2005 version

Seen a man standin' over a dead dog by the highway in a ditch
He's lookin' down kinda puzzled pokin' that dog with a stick
Got his car door flung open out on 31
Like if he stood there long enough that dog'd get up and run
That dog'd get up and run
That dog'd get up and run
Struck me kinda funny, funny sir to me
How at the end of every hard day people find reason to believe
A reason to believe

Mary Lou loved John with a love mean and true
She said "I'll work for you everyday and bring my money home to you
Bring my money home to you
Bring my money home to you"
One day he up and left her and ever since that
She waits down at the road for young Johnny to come back
Struck me kinda funny, funny sir to me
How at the end of every hard day people find reason to believe

Take a baby to the river, Kyle William they call him
Wash that baby in the water, take away little Kyle's sins
Take away little Kyle's sins
In a whitewash shotgun shack an old man passes away
They take his body to the graveyard, over him they pray
Over him they pray
Struck me kinda funny, funny sir to me
How at the end of every hard day people find reason to believe

Congregation gathers down by the riverside
Preacher stands with his bible, groom stands waitin' for his bride
Groom stands waitin' for his bride
Congregation gone, sun sets behind a tree
Groom stands alone, watches the river rush on
Watches the river rush on
Watches the river rush on
Watches the river rush on
Struck me kinda funny, funny sir to me
How at the end of every hard day people find reason to believe
A reason to believe
A reason to believe

Oooh-aah-waooh
Oooh-aah-waooh
Oooh-aah-waooh
Oooh-aah-waooh
Wooh-wooh-wooh
Wooh-wooh-wooh
Wooh-wooh-wooh

The above lyrics refer to the live 15 May 2005 version at CSU Wolstein Center, Cleveland, OH, during the Devils & Dust tour. During that tour, the song was played in radical reworking sung into electric-harmonica mic -- boot-stompin', distorted delta-blues. There are no important lyrics changes, except some lines repetitions.

Check out the album's version (more details) and the other live versions: Live/1975-85, 16 Nov 1984, 18 Nov 1984, 19 Nov 1984, 07 Dec 1984, 07 Jan 1985, 16 Nov 1990, 17 Nov 1990, and 18 Feb 1996. Check also the 14 Jun 2006 cover version and Aimee Mann & Michael Penn's version.

Thanks Timmy Petersson (Terry at Greasy Lake) for the lyrics.