Blue Tail Fly

Burl Ives · 51 Great Performances [2006]

2. BLUETAIL FLY



When I was young I used to wait

On my master and hand him his plate

And Pass the bottle when he got dry

And brush away the blue-tail fly



CHORUS: 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'd ride in the afternoon

I'd follow after with my hickory broom

The pony being rather shy

When bitten by the blue-tail fly



CHORUS:



One day he ride around the farm

Flies so numerous they did swarm

One chanced to bite him on the thigh

The devil take the blue-tail fly



CHORUS:

MUSIC



The pony run, he jump, he pitch

He threw my master in the ditch

He died and the jury wondered why

The verdict was the blue-tail fly



CHORUS:



He lay under the 'simmon tree

His epitaph is there to see

"Beneath this stone I'm forced to lie

The victim of the blue-tail fly"



CHORUS:

The Masters gone away