Before the R.E.A.
  by:  Verne Garrison
December 23, 2007
Valley Park, Mo.
Key of E- Banjo tuned to E
Moderate to Slow Tempo

Before the R.E.A.
  E                         A
Fifty foot of number nine wire,
                            E
Stretched between two wood poles
                                   B7
Hot summer or icy winter winds our dryer
                            E
Thats the way we dried our clothes

Scrub-board, lye soap, and hot water
Bow your back, apply some elbow grease
Clothes rubbed hard, then even harder
Hand wring dry, shake out hang in the breeze

Those were the days before the REA
All we had was horse and human power
Even simple chores took a lot of the day
With sundown, came our resting hour

In the winter-time, it was a tough  row to hoe
The clothes were frozen, and our hands were raw
We would bring them in, armload at time or so
Stand them in the corner so they could thaw

Then came the R E A
The Rural Electrification Administration
That seemed to save the day
For us country folk, our emancipation

Scrub-boards and the clothes lines,
They went their way
Washing machines and electric dryers
They were here to stay

Cant say I miss those days
Hand washing scrub boards and clothes lines
Coal oil lights, and all our poor ways
Things got a lot better, after the R E A