I stood on the station platform

And looked at the lonesome track.

The train had gone around the curve

The train that might never come back

For it carried my soldier sweetheart away

The one I loved so true.

My heart was sad, but I did not weep

I thought of the work to do.

Joe had gone to the fighting front

And he left his job behind

Now I must step into his place

On the long assembly line.

I said I'll learn to build a ship

I'll learn to build a plane

For the faster we speed this belt line, girls,

The quicker our boys return.



If you think that danger is far away

And cannot reach our shore

Go ask the wives of MacArthur's men,

They'll tell you about this war.

Go ask the widows of the Pearl Harbor boys

Our heroines brave and fine

You'll find them at work in the training schools

And on the assembly line.



If a thousand men leave a thousand jobs

To go and fight the foe,

Our factory wheels would slacken their speed

And the belts would move too slow.

But when a thousand hard working girls

Step in and take a hand

Out roll the tanks and the planes and guns

And there's freedom in the land.