Lord, Mary took to runnin' with a travelin' man

Left her momma cryin' with her head in her hands

Such a sad case, so broken-hearted

She says, "Momma, gotta go, gotta get outta here

Gotta get outta town, tired of hangin' around,

Gotta roll on between the ditches"



It's just an ordinary story 'bout the way things go

Round and round, nobody knows

But the highway goes on forever

That old highway goes on forever



Lord, she never woulda done if she hadn't got drunk

Hadn't started runnin' with a travelin' man

If she hadn't started takin' those crazy chances

She says, "Daughter, let me tell you 'bout the travelin' kind

Everywhere he's goin' such a very short time

He'll be long gone before you know it

He'll be long gone before you know it"



She says, "Never have I known it when it felt so good

Never have I knew it when I knew I could

Never have I done it when it looked so right

Leavin' Lou'siana in the broad daylight"



This is down in the swamplands, anything goes

Alligator bait, and the bars don't close

It's the real thing down in Lou'siana

Didja ever see a Cajun when he really got mad

Really got trouble like a daughter gone bad

It gets real hot down in Lou'siana



Well, the stranger bettter move it or he's gonna get killed

Gonna have to move it or a shotgun will

It ain't no time for lengthy speeches

It ain't no time for lengthy speeches



She says, "Never have I known it when it felt so good

Never have I knew it when I knew I could

Never have I done it when it looked so right

Leavin' Lou'siana in the broad daylight

Leavin' Lou'siana in the broad daylight"



It's just an ordinary story 'bout the way things go

Round and round, nobody knows

But the highway goes on forever

That old highway rolls on forever

There ain't no way to stop the water