Head of the Family and Boss of the Chores

Working under the car the other night, scraping off an old exhaust flange gasket to mate the catalytic converter with a new, not rusted and not leaking resonator pipe, I had a Merle Haggard album playing that I hadn’t listened to before. One song stood out as lyrically unlike anything I had ever heard anyone sing before. For those who uphold the family as a unit of production, here is a little tune to add to your collection.

The Singer is a widower keeping the family going, more wistful than bereaved with the loss of his wife at this point. He is well along into bearing singly the parental load meant for two, and pretty cheerful about it. As “the keeper of all that was yours”, leading my children in cleaning the house and keeping it in order was a significant piece of carrying on faithfully and nourishing the happiness and strength of the family my late wife and I had formed. That is the case for families not missing a mother as well. This is a true song. Enjoy.

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“Chores” sung by Merle Haggard

When I was a young man, I worked on my own
You had the big chore of makin’ a home
Now that I’m the keeper of all that was yours
I’m head of the family and I’m boss of the chores

Living without you is a chore on its own
I understand what all you did now that you are gone
Sometimes it sprinkles and sometimes it pours
When you’re head of the family and you’re boss of the chores

When I lost you, darlin’, the kids lost a mom
Now it’s me and the children and there’s work to be done
I look out for the babies and I scrub all the floors
‘Cause I’m head of the family and I’m boss of the chores

Living without you is a chore on its own
I understand what all you did now that you are gone
Sometimes it sprinkles, sometimes it pours
When you’re head of the family and you’re boss of the chores

Sometimes it sprinkles and sometimes it pours
When you’re head of the family and you’re boss of the chores