Apparently, in about the 1920s, the interpretation of the punchline moved away from the literal 'to get the other side' and actually became far more morbid by referring to the afterlife.
My literal autistic brain never thought of it that way until reading about it a year ago from someone else discovering that interpretation of the punchline.
Though when it was first published in The Knickerbocker in 1847, it was considered an 'anti-joke' with the idea that it is funny because you're expecting a clever punchline but instead get a literal answer.
Also, fewer chickens were harmed in that version.
It is also interesting to find out there is an actual origin of the joke, but I think the person who actually came up with the joke before it was published in the monthly New York magazine has been lost to time.
Much like a chicken in heavy traffic.
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