"Dashing Away with the Smoothing Iron" is a traditional English folk song written in the 19th century about a housewife carrying out one part of her linen chores each day of the week.
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In popular culture
The musical comedy duo Flanders and Swann quoted the first 7/8 syllables of each verse, verbatim and notewise, at the beginning of each verse of The Gas Man Cometh, the first track on At The Drop of Another Hat.
In 1973 the tune was used by the English composer John Rutter for the fourth movement of his Suite for Strings under the title Dashing Away.
In Downton Abbey season 3, episode 3, Carson sings this song to himself after finding out that Mrs. Hughes does not have cancer.
Lyrics
'Twas on a [ Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday ] morning
When I beheld my darling
She looked so neat and charming
In every high degree
She looked so neat and nimble, O
[ A-washing | A-hanging | A-starching | A-ironing | A-folding | A-airing | A-wearing ] of her linen, O
Refrain
Dashing away with the smoothing iron
Dashing away with the smoothing iron
She stole my heart away.