Peggy Seeger Housewife's Alphabet
A is for altar where we go astray
B for the bills that begin the next day
C for the cuffs and the collars of shirts
D is for dishes and dusting and dirt
E is my energy draining away
And F is for floors to be swept every day
G for girlhood that's gawky and gone
And a H fed up housewife that's singing this song
Wearily, it's merely a good woman's day
Cooking and cleaning and tidying away
If ever you finish, remember that when
You wake up tomorrow, it all starts again
I is for ironing for kids in their teens
J is for jerseys and jumpers and jeans
K for the kitchen for years upon end
I've lived with left overs and laundry for friends
M is my mending, there's mile upon mile
N for the nappies in a big stinking pile
O for the odd jobs, the odd one or two
Like pushing the pram or unplugging the loo
Wearily, it's merely a good woman's day
Cooking and cleaning and tidying away
If ever you finish, remember that when
You wake up tomorrow, it all starts again
Q is for quarreling of chicks in my nest
R is for referee and a one minute rest
S for the shopping in snow, sleet or rain
And T for that toilet, it's stopped up again
U is for underwear, grimy and soiled
V for those things that you peel, chop and boil
W for woman and washing machine
We both need attention, you know what I mean
Wearily, it's merely a good woman's day
Cooking and cleaning and tidying away
If ever you finish, remember that when
You wake up tomorrow, it all starts again
We've got no union, it's eight days a week
They're crammed into seven, I'm out on my feet
So much to do, where should I begin?
But I got all my lifetime to finish it in
W for wings, if I had them I'd fly
X marks the spot where I sit down and cry
Y Z for yours truly, I've gone on too long
And so has the system and so has this song
Wearily, it's merely a good woman's day
Cooking and cleaning and tidying away
If ever you finish, remember that when
You wake up tomorrow, it all starts again
If this song was household you'd sing it and then
You'd go back where you started and sing it again
Again and again and again and again
