From a Wash Woman on Up Songtext
von Lonnie Johnson

My gal is a wash woman, she wash by trade.
She started as a wash woman and as a cook and a maid.
She rub them things, oh how she rub them things.
The judge found all his health, she must have been rubbin′ them things.

She baked some jellyroll for the judge. She baked it nice and brown.
Like a good lawman he told everybody in town,
About her good jellyroll, oh, that good jellyroll.
He increased her paycheck, and it must have satisfied his soul.


The judge saw his chauffeur, flirtin' with the cook, got to be stopped.
So he kept on flirtin′ he put him on the spot,
About that good jellyroll, oh, that good jellyroll.
You know it must have been good jelly 'caused a man to loose his soul.

Now the judge invited the chief to spend Happy New Year.
Caught his arms 'round the cook, and framed him for the ′lectric chair.
′Bout that good jellyroll, oh, that good jellyroll.
You know it must have been good jelly 'caused two men to lose their soul.

Now she got a reducing parlor, down in China Town.
And they all go nuts about her rubbin′ them down.
She's rubbin′ 'em down, Oh, how she rub ′em down.
She started as a wash woman, ended up the leadin' woman of China Town.