Wash, Mama, Wash

(album: Remedies - 1970)

Wash woman,
I know you're tired
Of taking in clothes
A dollar three-eighty a day
Know your back is hurting
And that's for certain
Been bending over half of the day.

You're beating clothes on a washtub
Scrub 'em in an iron tub.
Long as we keep on singing this song
I know you won't mind working
All night long...

I know you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Again you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)

'kay now, mama
You gonna never play
For the living in '44
Ain't gonna come a rainy day.

Keep on working
Keep those shirts and drawers
A-jerking
As long as we keep on rolling on
You won't mind doing it all night long

You got to rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Hey now, you gotta rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
Scrub, Mama scrub

[Spoken:]
If you stop playing them numbers,
I tell you up front
You may be able to save the whole family
At the rate the things you're doing is going
We may all be out on the street come morning)

I tell you, Mama
Your dreams won't help at all
You might lose your mind in alcohol
And that ain't gonna get it a't'all.

Listen at me, Mama
Please hear my song
Long as you keep busting suds
I tell you gonna get it on and on

Hey now can you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)
Hey now won't you rub-a-dubba-dubba,
Mama, bust them suds
(Scrub, Mama scrub)

[Fadeout:]
Hey now you got a rub it
And then you dub it down
Can you dig it?
After you rub it a while
You dub it in the tub down there
With that soapy water
All over them dirty clothes.
You're gonna need Tide for the action
You see them come out of the washing machine...