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