The Black Fly Song

'Twas early in the spring when I decide to go
For to work up in the woods of north Ontario
And the unemployment office said they'd put me through
To the Little Abitibi in the survey crew

And the black flies, little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with the black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

Now the man Black Toby was the captain of the crew
And he saiys "I'm going to tell you boys, what we're gotta to do
"now we're gonna build a power dam, we must find a way
"For to make thе Little Ab run around the other way"

And thе black flies, little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with the black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

So we surveyed to the east, and we surveyed to the west
Trying to make our minds up how to do it best
Little Ab, Little Ab, what can I do?
I'm all but goin' crazy on the survey crew

And the black flies, little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with the black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

Black flies, black flies everywhere
They're crawling in your whiskers, and crawling in your hair
They're swimming in the soup, they're swimming in the tea
The devil take the black flies, let me be

Those black flies, little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with the black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

Black Toby fell a-swearing, cause the work was getting slow
And the state of our morale was getting mighty low
And the flies swarmed heavy, as he staggered up the train
He was walking up and down the trail, talking to himself

Those black flies, the little black flies
Always a black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with a black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

Now, the bull cook's name was Blind River Joe
And if it hadn't been for him we'd a never pulled through
Well he bound up our bruises and he catered us for fun
And lathered us in bacon grease and balsam gum

Cause the black flies, the little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with a black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

So at last the job was over, Black Toby said we're through
With the Little Abitibi and the survey crew
Was a wonderful experience but this I know:
I'll never go again to north Ontar-i-o

With the black flies, the little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with a black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

And the black flies, the little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with a black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o