Clothes Line

After a while we took in the clothes

Nobody said very much

Just some old wild shirts and a couple pairs of pants

Which nobody really wanted to touch

Mama come in and picked up a book

An' Papa asked her what it was

Someone else asked: What do you care?

Papa said: Well, just because

Then they started to take back their clothes

Hang 'em on the line

It was January the thirtieth

And everybody was feelin' fine

The next day everybody got up

Seein' if the clothes were dry

The dogs were barking, a neighbor passed

Mama, of course, she said: Hi!

Have you heard the news?, he said, with a grin

The Vice-President's gone mad!

Where?

Downtown

When

Last night

Hmm, say, that's too bad!

Well, there's nothin' we can do about it, said the neighbor

It's just somethin' we're gonna have to forget

Yes, I guess so, said Ma

Then she asked me if the clothes was still wet

I reached up, touched my shirt

And the neighbor said: Are those clothes yours?

I said: Some of 'em, not all of 'em

He said: Ya always help out around here with the chores?

I said: Sometime, not all the time

Then my neighbor, he blew his nose

Just as papa yelled outside

Mama wants you to come back in the house and bring them clothes

Well, I just do what I'm told

So, I did it, of course

I went back in the house and Mama met me

And then I shut all the doors