Album: Nebraska (1982)

License This Song 

• Seen a man standin' over a dead dog lyin' by a highway in a ditch
  He's lookin' down kinda puzzled, pokin' that dog with a stick
  Got his car doors flung open he's standin' out on Highway thirty-one
  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 Writer/s: Bruce Springsteen
  Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 8

• Austin from KentuckyI hear the song as one of Hope, even if a desperate hope that is clung to. John McCutcheon covers this song in a mashup with Tom Chapin on his album "Live at the Wolf Trap" that is a little more up tempo. To Kyle in New Zealand, in Catholic Tradition, all newborns carry the taint of 'original sin' (Garden of Eden). The Sacrament of Baptism cleanses the child of this sin, and purifies the Soul.
• Kyle from Dunedin, New Zealandhey guys - Kyle William here as well. Bruce mentions Kyle William was taken to the river to wash away his sins - Why would a baby have any sins?? Either way, when I first heard this as a 12 year old I thought it was some kind of spooky coincidence. I am from New Zealand and there aint that many Kyle William's over here...But in the US its obviously a different story! Love Bruce's work, first time I heard Racing in the Streets Iw as hooked. Cheers!
• Kyle from Schaumburg, Ilin the song, bruce sings about a boy named Kyle William. my parents actually liked the name and named me after it. my first name is Kyle and my middle is William, so this song kind of has a secret meaning to me.
• Kyle from Belleville, CanadaGreat song, catchy but delivers a stern message.
• Kyle from New York, NyThis is an amazing song...and not only because my name is Kyle William and I am named after this song.
• Scott from St. Louis, MoSimply a masterpiece. It sums up everything I believe about life. Bruce gives me, and many others I'm sure, reason to believe.
• Josh from Terre Haute, InListen to the version on the live boxset. Awesome version of this song.
• Adrian from Kingston, CanadaAmazing song. Reminds me of Devils and Dust.

More Songfacts:

Talkin' Hawkin'Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd's "Talkin' Hawkin'" uses a sample of Stephen Hawking's synthesized voice taken from a speech he made for a 1994 British Telecom commercial.

Just Can't Get EnoughThe Black Eyed Peas

The Black Eyed Peas shot the video for "Just Can't Get Enough" in Japan just a week before a devastating earthquake hit the country.

Paul RevereBeastie Boys

In Beastie Boys' "Paul Revere," the title refers to the name of a horse. They took it from a song in the musical Guys And Dolls where a character sings, "I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere."

StayLisa Loeb

"Stay" by Lisa Loeb was the first #1 hit by an unsigned artist. It got a boost from Ethan Hawke, who got it into a movie he starred in called Reality Bites.

No More DramaMary J. Blige

The Mary J. Blige song "No More Drama" samples the theme to the appropriately dramatic soap opera The Young And The Restless.

Atomic DogGeorge Clinton

The electronic instruments in "Atomic Dog" represent the coming computer age, which is balanced by the instinctual dog, who barks and pants throughout the song.

Editor's Picks

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Dennis DeYoungSongwriter Interviews

Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

In The CardsSong Writing

Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.