Lyr Req: Lady What Do You Do All Day? (PeggySeeger

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lady what do you do all day?
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 01:49 PM

Exactily the lyrics I was looking for !!

YAAAAY!!!!!!!

Ta' very much eh!!

{~`

Subject: Lyr Add: LADY, WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY? (P Seeger)
From: GeorgeH
Date: 05 Jun 00 - 10:33 AM

Ok, here it is . . hope I get this bit right:

LADY, WHAT DO YOU DO ALL DAY?
============================
(c) Peggy Seeger
Transcribed from a radio broadcast by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger

Lady, what do you do all day?
Lady, how do you spend your time?
Lady

Got no time to stand here gabbling
Got no time to be answering
The beds need making
The dishes need washing
And then to me' dusting and polishing
Scrubbing and sweeping and sewing and cleaning and cooking and ironing
Are you listening?
I'm a production line all by myself
Only my wages are missing

Three kids, of eight and seven and two,
Leisure is just a mythology
When it's over my head
I can't go to bed
It's temper of else psychology.
Jimmy's bed-wetting and Tommy is jealous and baby is yelling . .
It's driving me crazy.
A nurse and a nanny until I'm a granny
But why is it nobody pays me?

I care for a lovely old mother-in-law,
She's eighty-seven and cranky.
Husband's in bed with a feverish cold
Run for the tea and the handkies
The hot water bottle, the tele, the paper . .
And now the kids have it
It must be contageous
So now I'm the family medical staff
But where the hell are me' wages?

If wives and mothers all took to their heels
You'd soon be needing an army.
And paying them all a union wage [#1]
I bet it would drive you barmy.
All eyes and ears
All hands and feet
My sign is Gemini
Should have been two of me
I do the work of a dozen a day
But where are the wages due to me?

With wages so low, prices so high
Budgeting must be meticulous.
The hours I spend
Looking for bargains
And cooking 'em's really ridiculous.
And though my man's doing all that he can
What he's bringing home isn't making ends meet
And I'll have to go out for a wake myself
If the family's going to keep eating.

So it's up in the morning
Before all the family
Get the grub on the table.
Beds need making, the dishes need washing
Everything's done on the double.
Drop the kids off at the school and run for me' bus
Don't you think it's outrageous?
I'd more than enough
With me' labour of love
No I'm doing another for wages.

The boss is as good
As a boss could be
But the office is just like a nursery.
He's smoothing his tie, [#2]
Soothing his trouble
Remebering his aniversary.
Remind and hurry and scurry and worry
Into the frying pan out of the cage
And it's home from home
Wherever I roam
But at least I'm getting some wages!

On my way home
I shop for the dinner
And then have a tidy arround.
Billy comes in
He sits down with the paper,
Says, "Girl, don't you ever sit down?"
Men of the world
Would you think it so strange?
Think it was right?
Think it was funny?
To slog every night at a job for free
After slogging all day for your money?

So give me my wages,
Give me my due,
I'm opting out of the system.
Give me bonuses, overtime, sickleave
And paid holidays and a pension.
Then I can [#3]
Strike, work to rule, or go slow
Or object to conditions and hours
For wages would give me the power
To have a say in a world where a person
Who happens to be female
Is supposed to be happy
To spend her time as a
Baby-minder
Sock finder
Bacon-fryer
Dish-dryer
Floor sweeper
Light sleeper
Brow-smoother
Mend the hoover

Nappy folder
Hand-holder
Onion chopper
Mess-mopper
Button-sewer
To-and-froer
Tidy-upper
What's for supper?
Money-stretcher
Run-and-fetcher

Cake-baker
Back-acher
Early waker
Bed maker [#4]
Breakfast maker
Lunch maker
Tea maker
Sandwich maker

Lady, what do you do all day?
Lady, it's your only life
When they ask you, what do you say?
[#5]
Oh, I don't work,
I'm nothing but a house wife.

italic (if I've got it right) bits interspersed by male voice . .
#1] Sung as "wages"
#2] I think this should start "It's . . " but Peggy sang "He's . ."
#3] Next line spoken . . s l o w l y
#4] Accelerates from here to end of list
#5] Next line spoken.

But that's as much description of the performance as I can give. (Irregular line pattern reflects the emphasis in the song .}

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lady what do you do all day?
From: GeorgeH
Date: 30 May 00 - 02:09 PM

That should have been "with" Ewan MacColl ... (he sort of sings the "Lady what do you do all day" challenge at the start, and - IIRC - at the end of the song)

It's not on any of our Seeger/MacColl vinyl/CDs . .

It's not in any of our collection of New City Songster (most of vols. 1 to 20) although looking for it was a great reminder of what a remarkable source of songs they were . .

So we can only have it on tape.

If you still want it either email or personal message me and I'll continue looking ..

It's a fine song, too!

G.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lady what do you do all day?
From: Sorcha
Date: 25 May 00 - 07:47 PM

Just can't resist this------I let the dog in, let the dog out, let the dog in, let the dog out, let the (other)dog in)............(sorry, sheepish grin)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lady what do you do all day?
From: GeorgeH
Date: 25 May 00 - 02:21 PM

Yup, it's Peggy Seeger alright . . Oft sung by Ewan MacColl. I don't know if it's on one of the records with song sheets (I know we've a couple of recordings of it, one from a radio broadcast). I'd guess it's on "Penelope Isn't Waiting Anymore".

I'll see if I can find it . . but feel free to email me a reminder (gdothawesatsandotcom) as I'm finding it hard to find time to visit this place these days . .

George

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lady what do you do all day?
From: black walnut
Date: 25 May 00 - 12:56 PM

hmmmm, sounds like a song i might wanna learn...... sounds a bit like a peggy seeger....?

~'nut

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lady what do you do all day?
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 25 May 00 - 12:06 PM

Stymied again eh?!?!

I tough this place had FOLK FANS!?!?! {~`

Subject: Lady what do you do all day?
From: Clinton Hammond2
Date: 25 May 00 - 02:08 AM

Anybody know this one?? It's a long list of household chores that ends whit the guy singing the title line and her responding, "Oh Nothing... I'm nothing but a housewife."

I have no idea who did it, unfortunatly... but does anyone out there know this one??

Or am I gonna stump the Great And Powerful Mudflap Melee again?!?!

LOL!!

{~`