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 came 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
That 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 Presidents gone mad
Where?, Downtown, When?, Last night
Hmm, say, thats too bad
Well, theres nothing we can do about it, said the neighbor
Its just something were 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 them, not all of them
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 Im told, so I did it, of course
I went back in the house and mama met me
And then I shut all the doors