The Black Fly Song

THE BLACK FLY SONG Time: 4/4 Tenor: C Bass: C

1 * * *

'Twas early in the spring when I decide to go

6m * 2m *

For to work up in the woods in North On-tar-i-o

1 * * *

The unemployment office said they'd send me through

6m * 2m *

To the Little Abi-tibi with the survey crew

6m * * *

And the black flies, the little black flies

1 * * *

Always the black fly, no matter where you go

2m * * *

I'll die with the black fly a-picking my bones

* * 1 * * 2m 6m

In North On-tar-i-o-i-o, in North On-tar-i-o

Now the man, black Toby was the captain of the crew

And he said, "I'm gonna tell you boys what we're gonna do

They want to build a power dam and we must find a way

For to make the Little Ab flow around the other way"

So we survey to the east and we survey to the west

And we couldn't make our minds up how to do it best

Little Ab, Little Ab, what shall I do

For I'm all but goin' crazy on the survey crew

It was black fly, black fly everywhere

A-crawlin' in your whiskers, a-crawlin' in your hair

A-swimmin' in the soup, and a'swimmin in the tea

Oh the devil take the black fly and let me be

Black Toby fell to swearin' 'cause the work went slow

And the state of our morale was gettin' pretty low

And the flies swarmed heavy, it was hard to catch a breath

As you staggered up and down the trail talkin' to yourself

Now the bull cook's name was Blind River Joe

If it hadn't been for him we'd have never pulled through

For he bound up our bruises, and he kidded us for fun

And he lathered us with bacon grease and balsam gum

At last the job was over, Black Toby said, We're through

With the Little Abitibi and the survey crew

'Twas a wonderful experience and this I know

I'll never go again to North Ontar-i-o

NOTES:

SYMBOLS:

- Asterisk (*) = new measure, play same chord

- Period (.) = 1/8 note rest at start of a measure

- Underline(_) = sustain note into next measure

CHORDS (Number System):

- Example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

- Key of C: C D E F G A B

- Detailed description: /pub/guitar/other_stuff/numbering_system.txt

- Submitted by: Barrie McCombs (bmccombs@acs.ucalgary.ca)