Camptown Shakers: Music
Blue Tail Fly
(Camptown Shakers)
Pub. 1846. Similar lyrics as “Jim Crack Corn”, but this version has a distinctive doleful melody.
O when you come in summertime, to South Carolina’s sulty clime,
If in de shade you chance to lie, you’ll soon find out de blue tail fly,
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
Dar’s many kind ob dese here tings, from diff’rent sort of insect springs,
Some hatch in June an some July, But August fotches de blue tail fly,
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
When I was young I used to wait, On Massa’s table an hand de plate,
I’d pass de bottle when he dry, an brush away de blue tail fly,
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
When he ride in de arternoon, I foller wid a hickory broom;
De poney being berry shy, when bitten by de blue tail fly.
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
One day he rode around de farm, de flies so numeroius did swarm;
One chance to bite ‘im on de thigh, de debble take de blue tail fly.
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
De poney run, he jump, an pitch, an tumble massa in de ditch,
He died, an de Jury wonder why, De verdict was de “blue tail fly”
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
Dey laid ‘im under a simmon tree, his epitaph am dar to see,
Beneath dis stoen I’m forced to lie, all by de means ob de blue tail fly.
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.
Ole Massa’s gone, now let him rest, dey say all tings am for de best;
I neber shall forget till de day I die, Ole Mass an de blue tail fly.
An scratch ‘im wid a brier too.