The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
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
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
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I am surprised that there aren't more comments about this song other than those noting its simplicity. I couldn't disagree more. For over 30 years I've pondered the last verse. The first three verses set up the theme clearly enough: mortality, love, superstition, ritual.
But the last verse breaks the narrative. We have a wedding scene, which combines all four elements of the early verses. But then suddenly he's alone, lamenting some kind of metaphoric loss. His freedom? His youth?
It's like in the 4th verse, Springsteen takes the song and turns it upside down. The "reason to believe" is no longer ironic, but nihilistic. "Struck me kinda funny" no more.
I think "the loss of the groom" is that his bride never showed up for their wedding. Now he lost the love of his life and feel miserable and sad. <br />
i like your takes. and i agree with them in large part. but i'm not sure i find the last verse to be so miffing. to me, the man is lost. his bride to be never showed, which leaves only so many inferences for him to make. but why? and where is she? when i hear that verse, and i put myself in the shoes of that man by the river, it's the not knowing that gets to me. the loss of stability, trust, companionship, of that unnoticed steady footing you gain when in a solid relationship. and then to be by the river while all this happens...the allegorical, to me, is obvious. just like the river keeps on moving, no matter what, so also his reason to believe keeps on keepin on.
@ZFT This song is just about hard stuff in life. Methinks there are few things more personally devastating to a man than his bride failing to show at the wedding. To discover the betrayal of love and trust in this setting hurts the head, the heart and the ego. It's hard enough to call off a wedding off before the event, it's just plain brutal to do a no-show the day of, when people have gathered to celebrate love.