He was drivin' home one evening in his beat-up Pontiac
When an old lady flagged him down; her Mercedes had a flat
He could see that she was frightened standin' out there in the snow
'Til he said I'm here to help you, ma'am, by the way, my name's Joe
She said I'm from St. Louis, and I'm only passin'
through
I musta seen a hundred cars go by, this awful nice of you
When he changed the tire and closed her trunk and was about to drive
away
She said how much do I owe you? Here's what he had to say
You don't owe me a thing
I've been there too
And someone once helped me out
Just the way I'm helpin' you
If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do:
Don't let the chain of love end with you
Well a few miles down the road the lady saw a small
cafe
She went in to grab a bite to eat and then be on her way
But she couldn't help but notice how the waitress smiled so sweet
And how she must have been eight months along and dead on her feet
No she didn't know her story, and she probably never
will
When the waitress went to get her change from a hundred dollar bill
The lady slipped right out the door and on a napkin left a note
There were tears in the waitress' eyes when she read what she wrote
You don't owe me a thing
I've been there too
And someone once helped me out
Just the way I'm helpin' you
If you really want to pay me back, here's what you do:
Don't let the chain of love end with you
That night when she got home from work, the waitress
climbed into bed
She was thinkin' about the money and what the lady's note had said
As her husband lay there sleepin' she whispered soft and low
Everything's gonna be all right; I love you … Joe.