v.1. The food left over when Emily eats could feed an African village.
The mess all over the twin’s bedroom could fill St. Vinnies.

The floor needs cleaning, the bath is putrid,
The garden needs weeding, the washing’s not done yet.
The baby is sleeping, the baby is not sleeping,
The windows need cleaning, the shopping’s not done yet.

Chorus 1: And anything I want to do, I have to take all the children with me,
Anything I want to do has to wait, I’m never alone.
Anything he wants to do, he just goes out and does it.
This is the first time I’ve gone out and he’s stayed home.

v.2. If I speak quietly in a nice voice, no-one takes any notice.
When I speak with the words that explain, no-one can hear me.

“How’s the house Roxy?” She sighed and said,
“Oh, it’s fine now he’s back, but it’s totally re-arranged.”
After three years going backward, it’s time to go forward,
So all her friends say, “go with the change.”
She said (Chorus 1)

v.3. What rewards would our husbands expect for minding the children?
How much money would they want to be paid for doing the babysitting?
The baby’s being minded by a man. I suppose you could say it’s being MAN-aged.

Chorus 2: But none of the work will be done. It’ll all be there waiting for me.
Everything I want to do has to wait. Thank God for the phone.
Any time he likes, he leaves responsibilities all behind.
He doesn’t understand when I ask, “Where’s my time, . . . my time?”

v.4. The time left over when everyone sleeps is next to nothing.
The dreams in secret that everyone keeps amount to something,
Don’t they?
And (Chorus 1:)

The food left over when Emily eats (or sleeps) could feed an African village.

© Bruce McNicol 1993

Recorded by Gregarious Chance on their album "Really . . . Gregarious" see Discography