The Girl At The Ironing Board

Written for: Dames (1934)
Performer: Joan Blondell & Studio Chorus
Lyric: Al Dubin
Additional British lyric: Charles Dunn
Music: Harry Warren
Year: 1934
Original publisher: Remick Music Corp.

Sheet music version:

Verse 1:

Many a poor little rich girl is sad
Inside of a palace of gold.
She's never known all the dreams that I've had,
Her life is empty and her heart is cold;

Chorus 1:

But a girl who works in a laundry,
Has a dream lover all of her own;
A lover unseen, whose love she keeps clean
With water and soap, and a washing machine.
Oh, she loves to launder his linen,
Ev'ry collar and shirt is adored;
And she loves all the stitches
In his flannel britches,
The girl at the ironing board.

Interlude:

Scrub and rub, rub and scrub,
We do the neighborhood washing.
Scrub and rub in a tub,
Rub-a-dub-dub, boop-a-doo!

Chorus 2:

Just a girl who works in a laundry,
Who's in love with a man of her dreams;
Her lover unseen, whose clothes she keeps clean
With water and soap, and a washing machine.
When she sees a button is missing,
She'll replace it of her own accord;
As she fondles each sock,
She can love him by proxy,
The girl at the ironing board.

Verse 2:

I know a princess somewhere in this land
Who leans o'er a washtub each day;
But o'er the washtub her daydreams are grand,
Even the soap-suds can't wash them away;

[Chorus 1, Interlude, Chorus 2]

Verse 2 (from British sheet music):

Up in the steam clouds, her dream man she sees,
A palace around her soon grows;
Mangles keep churning out love melodies,
Soap suds just smell like the pure eau-de-rose;

[Chorus 1, Interlude, Chorus 2]

Movie version:

Verse:

(Joan Blondell, spoken:) Nobody ever has whispered to me
The sweet things a girl loves to hear.
Nobody's arms ever twined around mine,
Still I'm not lonely, for romance is near.

Chorus 1:

(Blondell, sung:) Oh, a girl who works in a laundry,
Has a dream lover all of her own;
A lover unseen, whose love she keeps clean
With water and soap, and a washing machine.
Oh, she loves to launder his linen,
Ev'ry collar and shirt is adored;
And she loves all the "stitchoos"
In his flannel "britchoos,"
The girl at the ironing board.

Interlude 1:

(Girls, sung:) Scrub and rub, rub and scrub,
We do the neighborhood washing.
Scrub and rub in a tub,
Rub-a-dub-dub, boop-a-doo!

Chorus 2:

(Blondell, sung:) Ev'ry week you come to the laundry,
Though I never have seen you, my love;
But I wash the dirt from your undershirt,
And my heart is glad, though my fingers may hurt.
There is something 'bout your pajamas
That enthralls me with sweet ecstasy;
And because it's part of you,
I'm learning to love you,
So bring back your laundry to me.

Interlude 2:

(Blondell & girls, sung:) Bring back, bring back,
Bring back your laundry to me, to me.
Bring back, bring back,
Oh, bring back your laundry to me.
Scrub and rub in a tub,
Rub-a-dub-dub, boop-a-doo!

Chorus 3:

(Blondell, sung:) If you take a look at the clothesline,
You can learn quite a lot about men;
Now what handsome brute owns this union suit?
He's big and he's strong, but I'll bet that he's cute.
Here's a pair of what-you-may-call-it's,
But those ruffles are too, too divine;
Though you may be old "fashooned,"
You're my secret "pashoon,"
So come up and see me some time.

Interlude 3 (to the tune of "Shuffle Off To Buffalo"):

You go home and pack your panties,
All your socks and all your scanties
In a laundry bag.
Oh, oh, oh…

Interlude:

INSTRUMENTAL

Chorus 4 (clothes singing to Blondell, male voices):

(Voice 1:) You're the kind of a girl I could care for,
'Cause you've always been gentle with me.
(Voice 2:) And I like you, too, 'cause I've noticed you
Don't toss me around like the other girls do.
(Voice 3:) You replace all my missing buttons
And you never expect a reward.
(Voice 4:) And our only one hope is:
You're as pure as the soap is.
(All 4 voices:) The girl at the ironing board.
(All 4 voices & girls:) The girl at the ironing…
(Blondell, half-spoken:) And when I'm off on "Sundies,"
I miss all these undies,
The girl…

<Birds chirping>