Jim Crack Corn
(or, The Blue Tail Fly)
When I was young I us’d to wait
On Massa and hand him de plate;
Pass down de bottle when he git dry,
And bresh away de blue tail fly.
Chorus:
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Ole Massa gone away.
Den arter dinner massa sleep,
He bid dis niggar vigil keep;
An’ when he gwine to shut his eye,
He tell me watch de blue tail fly.
Chorus
An’ when he ride in de arternoon,
I foller wid a hickory broom;
De poney being berry shy,
When bitten by de blue tail fly.
Chorus
One day he rode aroun’ de farm,
De flies so numerous dey did swarm;
One chance to bite ‘im on the thigh,
De debble take dat blue tail fly.
Chorus
Dey laid ‘im under a ‘simmon tree,
His epitaph am dar to see:
‘Beneath dis stone I’m forced to lie,
All by de means ob de blue tail fly.
Chorus
Ole massa gone, now let ‘im rest,
Dey say all tings am for de best;
I nebber forget till de day I die,
Ole massa an’ dat blue tail fly.
Chorus:
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Jim crack corn I don’t care,
Ole Massa gone away.
