[Verse 1]
Oh Mary took to running with a traveling man
Left her momma crying with her head in her hands
Such a sad case, so brokenhearted
She say, "Momma, got to go, got to get out of here
Got to get out of town, tired of hanging around
I got to roll on between the ditches"
It's just an ordinary story about the way things go
Around and around, nobody knows
But the highway goes on forever
Oh, that old highway goes on forever

[Verse 2]
Lord, she never would've done it if she hadn't got drunk
Hadn't started running with a traveling man
If she hadn't started taking those crazy chances
She said, "Daughter, let me tell you 'bout the traveling kind
Everywhere they go such a very short time
He'll be long gone before you know it
Oh, he'll be long gone before you know it"

[Chorus]
She say, "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
Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight"
[Verse 3]
This is down in the swampland where anything goes
It's alligator bait and the bars don't close
It's the real thing down in Louisiana
Did you ever see a Cajun when he really got mad?
When he really got trouble like a daughter gone bad
It gets real hot down in Louisiana
The stranger better move it or he's going to get killed
He's going to have to get it or a shotgun will
It ain't no time for lengthy speeches
Lord, it ain't no time for lengthy speeches

[Chorus]
She say, "Never have I known it when it felt so good
Never ever knew it when I knew I could
Never have I done it when it looked so right
Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight"
She say, "Never have I known it when it felt so good
Never ever knew it when I knew I could
Never have I done it when it looked so right
Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight
Leaving Louisiana in the broad daylight"

[Outro]
It's just an ordinary story about the way things go
Around and around nobody knows
But the highway goes on forever
There ain't no way to stop the water