Dad said, "Get a job, son
You can't just lay around, all summer long
Your school days are gone
What's gonna make you wanna make it on your own
Oh, what's wrong?"

So he took a square of paper
That he cut out of the Avery Evening News
'Wanted, manual labor
At the grocery store on 16th Avenue'

Stock the shelves
Sweep the place
He thought of lookin' somewhere else
Until he saw her face

He finally found a reason
To wake up early, every morning
Get his feet on the ground and get downtown
To be there right on time

'Cause he knows that she'll be waiting
She'll be working down the aisle
And he'd do anything
To see that small-town angel smile
Turns out, all he ever really needed was a reason

He never thought much about the future
But when a stock boy falls in love with a check-out girl
He's not allowed to offer
So he wants to make his way up in the world

He works all day
And studies late into the night
Yeah, it's tough to make the grade
Oh, but that's alright

'Cause he's finally found a reason
To wake up early, every morning
Get his feet on the ground and get downtown
To be there right on time

'Cause he knows that she'll be waiting
She'll be working down the aisle
And he'd do anything
To see that small-town angel smile
Turns out, all he ever really needed was a reason

He's never been much
At getting dressed up for the church
And that's just what he does
All because of her

You see he's finally found a reason
To wake up early, Saturday morning
Put his feet on the ground and go downtown
Gonna get there right on time

'Cause he knows that she'll be waiting
Her daddy will walk her down the aisle
And he'll promise God
He'll always make that small-town angel smile
Turns out, all he ever really needed

Turns out, all he ever really needed was a reason
Yeah, yeah, yeah, was a reason, yeah, yeah