It's not clear who wrote this song. It was first published in 1846 in both Baltimore and Boston, with two slightly different sets of lyrics. Both are included here, beginning with the more familiar version (which is the one that the 97th Regimental String Band plays on the recording, along with the kind of banter between performers that was a regular feature of minstrelsy).
"Jim Crack Corn"
or the Blue tail Fly.
(Baltimore: F, D, Benteen, 1846)

When I was young I used to wait
On Massa's an 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 nigger vigil keep;
An' when he gwine to shut his eye,
He tell me watch de blue tail fly.
Jim crack corn &c.

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.
Jim crack corn &c.

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.
Jim crack corn &c.

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.
Jim crack corn &c.

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.
Jim crack corn &c.

Ole Massa's gone, now let 'im rest,
Dey say all tings am for de best;
I neber shall forget till de day I die,
Ole Massa an' de blue tail fly.
Jim crack corn &c.

De hornet gets in your eyes an nose,
De skeeter bites y'e through your close,
De gallinipper sweeten high,
But wusser yet de blue tail fly.
Jim crack corn &c.

De Blue Tail Fly.
A Negro Song.
(Boston: Oliver Ditson, 1846)

O when you come in summer time,
To South Carlinar's sultry clime,
If in de shade you chance to lie,
You'll soon find out de blue tail fly,
An scratch 'im wid a brier too.

Dar's many kind ob dese here tings,
From diff'rent sort ob insects springs;
Some hatch in June, an some July,
But August fotches de blue tail fly,
An scratch 'im wid a brier too.

When I was young, I used to wait
On Massa's table an hand de plate;
I'de pass de bottle when he dry,
An brush away de blue tail fly.
An scratch 'im &c.

Den arter dinner massa sleep,
He bid me vigilance to keep;
An when he gwine to shut he eye,
He tell me watch de blue tail fly.
An scratch 'im &c.

When he ride in de arternoon,
I foller wid a hickory broom;
De poney being berry shy,
When bitten by de blue tail fly.
An scratch 'im &c.

One day he rode aroun de farm,
De flies so numerous did swarm;
One chance to bite 'im on de thigh,
De debble take dat blue tail fly.
An scratch 'im &c.

De poney run, he jump, an pitch,
An tumble massa in de ditch;
He died, an de Jury wonder why,
De verdict was, de "blue tail fly."
An scratch 'im &c.

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.
An scratch 'im &c.

Ole Massa's gone, now let him rest,
Dey say all tings am for de best;
I neber shall forget till de day I die,
Ole Massa an de blue tail fly.
An scratch 'im &c.

De hornet gets in your eyes an nose,
De skeeter bites y'e through your close,
De gallinipper sweeten high,
But wusser yet de blue tail fly.
An scratch 'im &c.


ARTISTS:
  The 97th Regimental String Band
GUITAR & LEAD VOCALS: Mark "Mad Dog" Luce;
BASS, HARMONICAS & VOCALS:
Rick Moock;
ALL OTHER STRINGS & VOCALS: VGO.

Raise a Ruckus
℗ © 1991 Licensed for use by
Smoothbore Music, Inc. Unauthorized
duplication or downloading is prohibited.


Audio encoding by Jama Coartney
at the Digital Media Lab,
Clemons Library, Univ. of Virginia