Blackfly Song – Wade Hemsworth (1949)
1 2 / 1 2 /
[F]'Twas early in the spring when I decide to go
For to [Dm] work up in the woods in north On-[Am]tar-i-o
And the[F]unemployment office said they'd send me through
To the [Dm] Little Abitibi with the [Am] survey crew
And the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm]north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o
In [F]north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o[Dm]/[F]/[F]
Now the[F]man Black Toby was the captain of the crew
And he [Dm] said, "I'm gonna tell you boys [Am] what we’re gonna do
They [F]want to build a power dam, we must find a way
For to [Dm] make the Little Ab flow a-[Am]round the other way"
With the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o
In [F] north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o [Dm]/[F]/[F]
So we [F]survey to the east, survey to the west
And we [Dm] couldn't make our minds up [Am] how to do it best
Little [F]Ab, Little Ab, what shallI do
For I 'm [Dm]all but goin' crazy with the [Am] survey crew
And the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o
In [F] north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o [Dm]/[F]/[F]
It was [F]black fly, black fly everywhere
A-[Dm]crawlin' in your whiskers, a-[Am]crawlin' in your hair
[F]Swimmin' in the soup, swimmin’ in the tea
The [Dm] devil take the black fly and [Am] let me be
[Dm]Black fly, the little black fly
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o
In [F] north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o [Dm]/[F]/[F]
Black [F] Toby fell to swearin', the work went slow
And the[Dm] state of our morale was a-[Am]gettin' pretty low
And the [F]flies swarmed heavy, it was hard to catch a breath
As you [Dm] staggered up and down the trail [Am]talkin' to yourself
With the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o
In [F] north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o [Dm]/[F]/[F]
Well now the [F]bull cook's name was Blind River Joe
If it [Dm] hadn't been for him we'd have [Am]never pulled through
Cuzhe [F]bound up our bruises, and he kidded us for fun
And he [Dm] lathered us with bacon grease and [Am] balsam gum
For the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o
In [F] north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o [Dm]/[F]/[F]
And at[F]last the job was over, Black [F]Toby said we're through
With the [Dm]Little Abitibi and the [Am] survey crew
'Twas a [F]wonderful experience and [F]this I know
I'll [Dm] never go again to north On-[Am]tar-i-o
With the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o, in north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o
With the [Dm] black flies, the little black flies
[F] Always the black fly, no matter where you go
I'll [Gm] die with the black fly a-picking my bones
In [Gm] north On-tar-i-[F]o-i-o, in [F]north On-[Am]tar-i-[Dm]o