"This is not my beautiful house!"

June 4, 2007 6:39 PM

Please recommend some upbeat songs about cleaning, housekeeping, etc.

Looking for upbeat songs of any genre (though rock, especially indie rock, would be great) that address cleaning, housekeeping, chores, doing the dishes, that sort of thing. Bonus points if the cleaning theme is included in the title. Thanks, all.

posted by joe lisboa to media & arts (40 answers total)

Well, "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs springs immediately to mind. Not quite indie, though.
posted by crinklebat at 6:42 PM on June 4, 2007

"sadie the cleaning lady", John Farnham.

Though I apologise to anyone that you make listen to it.
posted by kjs4 at 6:44 PM on June 4, 2007

She Works Hard for the Money By Donna Summer.

Baking Pies by Patty Griffin
posted by zenpop at 6:44 PM on June 4, 2007

neat little domestic life by of montreal
posted by noloveforned at 6:59 PM on June 4, 2007

The definitive winner...Girls Just Want to Have Fun.
posted by tdabbott at 7:00 PM on June 4, 2007

Wow, I don't get it: How is "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" about cleaning? It's certainly a peppy tune you COULD clean to, but...
posted by GaelFC at 7:09 PM on June 4, 2007

"Our House" by Madness
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 7:15 PM on June 4, 2007

Laura Lee's soul classic Dirty Man which can be found on iTunes reminds us of what a good housekeeper is.
posted by extrabox at 7:16 PM on June 4, 2007

Eminem's Cleaning out My Closet.

Yakety yak is all I've got. I'm not sure it counts as 'real' music.
posted by fogster at 7:17 PM on June 4, 2007

I know its not housecleaning per se but my Mom used to always rock it to to Paperback Writer and to this day I cant hear it without wanting to sweep. Sad but so.
posted by Meemer at 7:20 PM on June 4, 2007

Subquestion: is this music for you or someone else to clean to, or just along a theme of cleaning? If you're rocking the mop, I love energetic Latin music, like "Mi Swing Es Tropical" from Nickodemus & Quantic (featuring Tempo).
posted by mdonley at 7:22 PM on June 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

Pretenders' Watching the Clothes
posted by sageleaf at 7:33 PM on June 4, 2007

"Postcard from a Dream" by Poi Dog Pondering
"Woman's Liberation" by The Singing Principal (super-funky battle-of-the-sexes novelty song)
"Clean Up Woman" by Betty Wright (not actually about housecleaning)
"Women's Realm" by Belle & Sebastian
"She Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina" by The Kinks
posted by hydrophonic at 7:53 PM on June 4, 2007

Burning Down the House!

Erm... Never mind. But it is an easy way to get rid of the mess!
posted by odi.et.amo at 7:54 PM on June 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair.
posted by roue at 7:54 PM on June 4, 2007

It's not upbeat, really, but I like to listen to "Everything In Its Right Place" by Radiohead while tidying up.
posted by aliasless at 7:59 PM on June 4, 2007

"Yer gonna polish this dump... 'til it shines like the top of the Chrysler Building!" -- "It's a Hard Knock Life," Annie

I can clean anything if I've got my "sing it!" musicals playlist on.
posted by mimi at 8:04 PM on June 4, 2007

B-52's Housework
posted by Maishe at 8:42 PM on June 4, 2007

"The Time of My Life" from this Vindictives album. It has an upbeat pop-punk sound (imo), but not upbeat lyrics. Though it's a nice ironic song to clean to.

Also on the same album "Future Homemakers of America", though that has a bit of a darker sound to it. But it does repeat the phrase "Oh Calgon, take me away!"
posted by mullacc at 9:14 PM on June 4, 2007

"Hate it Here" - Wilco
posted by kms at 9:55 PM on June 4, 2007

"housework" by Fishbone. really crazy upbeat ska thingy.

wikipedia
posted by joeblough at 10:21 PM on June 4, 2007

Van Morrison: Cleaning Windows

Whats my line?
Im happy cleaning windows
Take my time
Ill see you when my love grows
Baby dont let it slide
Im a working man in my prime
Cleaning windows...
posted by Rumple at 10:23 PM on June 4, 2007

The Queers "Born to Do Dishes" about Pete the Dishwasher no less.
posted by rosebengal at 10:49 PM on June 4, 2007

Furslide had a secret track at the end of their album 'Adventure', all about cleaning someone's house. Indie AND upbeat! I think it was called the Cleaning Lady. I always put that on for rent inspection cleaning.
posted by indienial at 11:11 PM on June 4, 2007

Oasis - Some might Say:

"The sink is full of fishes, she's got dirty dishes on the brain..."
posted by csg77 at 11:29 PM on June 4, 2007

I actually find myself occasionally singing the clean up song from Barney while tidying....

http://www.amazon.com/Barneys-Favorites-Vol-1-Barney/dp/B000002TMH

I realise I am no longer cool :(
posted by chrispy108 at 12:46 AM on June 5, 2007

George Formby "When I'm Cleaning Windows"
posted by adamvasco at 3:08 AM on June 5, 2007

"It's My Job" by Jimmy Buffet immediately comes to mind.

He said "It's my job to be cleaning up this mess
And that's enough reason to go for me
It's my job to be better than the rest
And that makes the day for me"
posted by JamesMessick at 4:40 AM on June 5, 2007

Go to http://www.farceswannamo.com/

And scroll down six albums to the one called Mess of Pottage. There's a song called Used Condoms in the Trash which my husband wrote based on stories I told him about working for a housecleaning company. It's free to download.

Despite the title, the song is not gross or anything!
posted by Melsky at 5:12 AM on June 5, 2007

Woman- by... someone in the 50's...
posted by thebrokenmuse at 5:45 AM on June 5, 2007

I can't believe nobody's posted Robert Palmer's "Housework" from his "Don't Explain" album -- it's exactly what you want.
posted by Mr. Justice at 5:58 AM on June 5, 2007

Morrissey, "Roy's Keen" - for cleaning windows, of course.
posted by candyland at 6:02 AM on June 5, 2007

"I'm a Woman"
I can wash out forty-four pairs of socks
And have them hangin' out on the line
I can starch and iron two dozen shirts
Before you can count from one to nine
...
I can rub and scrub till this old house
Is shinin' like a dime...

Maybe this is what you were talking about, the brokenmuse?

Written by Leiber and Stoller, recorded by Peggy Lee. Most recently made famous by Melinda Doolittle...yes maybe I watched American Idol...
posted by CiaoMela at 6:48 AM on June 5, 2007

The Roches, "Mr. Sellack."
The whole Domestic Science Club album, for obvious reasons.
posted by adamrice at 7:07 AM on June 5, 2007

i can't believe no one referenced "laundromat song" by the dead milkmen...

Soap and quarters and bleach and laundry
Are words I use at the laundromat
Reading the news, and watching the people
That's what I do at the laundromat

At the laundromat my heart grows fat
Ah Ah
As my clothes get dry I stop and sigh
Ah Ah
Dreaming -- Screaming

There's a girl washing her clothes
I'm in love but nobody knows
She looks sixteen or seventeen
My mind grows dirty when my clothes get clean

She's so young and tall
Ah Ah
I'm gonna give her my all (or Borax)
Ah Ah
Dreaming -- Screaming

I'm not a subtle guy
I'll go to her and sigh

...or am i Just That Old?

::sad face::
posted by lonefrontranger at 8:10 AM on June 5, 2007

Everybody's workin' for the weekend or
O-bla-di, o-bla-da?
posted by B-squared at 6:14 PM on June 5, 2007

"Would I Lie To You" - Eurythmics
"Leader Of The Laundromat" - The Detergents
posted by SisterHavana at 6:23 PM on June 5, 2007

I love listening to Lyle Lovett's Step Inside This House while I am doing the chores, it's just fun.
posted by redhead at 12:28 AM on June 6, 2007

Fun music? Woah there!

Seeing as I'm obsessed with The Smiths I'm not really sure where to begin with fun music!

What I would recommend though is a little piece of software called The Filter - what you'd need to do is select one 'fun' song in iTunes - Let's say 'Rocky Racoon' by The Beatles and The Filter will build you a playlist full of 'fun' music. Fun.

My votes for the most fun song of all time goes to 'Shiny Happy Monsters' by R.E.M.
posted by mackeral at 3:15 AM on June 6, 2007

A belated thanks to you all! I haven't marked a favorite answer because they're all quite good. Sorry to be so mysterious on the question's context, but I had asked it on behalf of a friend. Thanks again.
posted by joe lisboa at 2:30 PM on June 19, 2007