E              A       7
  When I was young a us'd to wait
      E             F#7     B7  
  On Massa and hand him de plate;
  Pass down the bottle when he git dry,
      B7              E
  And bresh away de blue tail fly.
  
   E                 B7
  Jim crack corn and I don't care.
                     E
  Jim crack corn and I don't care.
   7                 A        Bb° 
  Jim crack corn and I don't care.
      B7            E
  Old 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.
  
  An' when he ride in de arternoon,
  I foiler wid a hickory broom;
  De poney being berry shy,
  When bitten by de blue tail fly.
  
  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 blu tail fly.
  
  De poney run, he jump an' pitch,
  An' tumble massa in de ditch;
  He died, an' de jury wonder'd why
  De verdic was de blue tail fly.
  
  Dey laid 'im under a 'simmon tree,
  His epitaph am dar to see:
  'Beneath did stone I'm forced to lie,
  All by means ob de blue tail fly.'
  
  Ole massa gone, now let 'im rest,
  Dey say all tings am for the best;
  I nebber forget till de day I die,
  Ole massa an' dat blue tail fly.