Blue Tail Fly (from "Sing Out, Sweet Land!")

Blue Tail Fly - Burt Ives

When I was young, I used to wait

On the boss and give him his plate

And pass the bottle when he got dry

And brush away the blue tail fly

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

My master's gone away

And when he would ride in the afternoon

I'd follow after, with a hickory broom

The pony being rather shy

When bitten by blue tail fly

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

My master's gone away

One day, he ride around the farm

The flies so numerous, they did swarm

One chanced to bite him on the thigh

The devil take the blue tail fly

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

My master's gone away

The pony run, he jumped, he pitch

He threw my master in the ditch

He died and the jury wondered why

The verdict was the blue tail fly

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

My master's gone away

They lay him under a 'simmon tree

His epitaph is there to see

Beneath this stone, I'm forced to lie

Victim of the blue tail fly

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

Jimmy, crack corn and I don't care

My master's gone away