Blue-Tail Fly

Blue-Tail Fly is a blackface minstrel song, first performed in the 1840s and it remains a popular campfire song to this day.
The blue-tail fly of the song is probably a southern variant of the horsefly, which feeds on the blood of animals as well as humans and thus constitutes a prevalent pest in agricultural regions. Some horseflies have a blue-black abdomen, hence the name.

I remember this song from a Burl Ives recording popular when I was a boy.

Abraham Lincoln
(born 200 years ago today, February 12, 2009) was an admirer calling it "That buzzing song" and it is likely that he played it on his harmonica.

(E) When I was young
I (A) used to wait
On (E) master and serve (B7) him his plate
and (E) pass the bottle when (A) he got dry
and (B7) brush away the (E) blue-tail fly

Jimmie crack corn and (B7) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (E) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (A) I don't care
the (B7) master's gone a (E) way

Then after dinner (A) he would sleep
a (E) virgil I would (B7) have to keep
And (E) when he wanted to (A) shut his eye
He (B7) told me "Watch the blue-tail fly"

Jimmie crack corn and (B7) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (E) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (A) I don't care
the (B7) master's gone a (E) way

One day he rode (A) around the farm
The (E) flies so numerous (B7) they did swarm
One (E) chanced to bite him (A) on the thigh
The (B7) devil take the (E) blue-tail fly

Jimmie crack corn and (B7) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (E) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (A) I don't care
the (B7) master's gone a (E) way

The pony run, he (A) jump, he pitch
and (E) tumble master (B7) in the ditch
He (E) died... the injury they (A) wondered why
The (B7) verdict was the (E) blue-tail fly

Jimmie crack corn and (B7) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (E) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (A) I don't care
the (B7) master's gone a (E) way

They laid him 'neath the (A) simmon tree
His (E) epitaph is (B7) there to see
"Be (E) neath this stone I'm (A) forced to lie
a (B7) victim of the (E) blue-tail fly

Jimmie crack corn and (B7) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (E) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (A) I don't care
the (B7) master's gone a (E) way

Ol' master's gone now (A) let him rest
They (A) say that things are (B7) for the best
I (E) can't forget till the (A) day I die
ol' (B7) master and the (E) blue-tail fly

Jimmie crack corn and (B7) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (E) I don't care
Jimmie crack corn and (A) I don't care
the (B7) master's gone a (E) way

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Lew
• Dite
• songscreen
• singable
• songs
• singalong

[fastnoypi]

first time i heard the whole song from someone other than a bugs bunny cartoon lol

[louthepurplefairy]

reminds me of growing up in the seventies, listening to my old Burl Ives record and singing along with my Dad and his guitar. Happy memories.

[PkmnTrainerBarry101]

this reminds me of hetalia

[sc3am0]

mmm<3

[Dracopol]

The correct word is "vigil" not "virgil", unless it was meant to be a joke?

[bkami22]

Scrubs brought me here

[rydag11]

@fastnoypi I love that cartoon

[ChrisEminem4EverVEVO]

i like too the version of Eminem.

[hmasraff]

Doing this somg in Choir,lol

[D420666999]

throughout my life jimmy crack corn and i dont care has always been stuck in my head and this is the first time ive heard the actual song since i was a lil kid glad i stumbled across it

[broncosman13]

Okay, so that was the strangest thing I've ever heard. No offence meant though.