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 t´ 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