#In North Ontar-I-O

[bryanharryrombough]

'Tis the season.

[rock-cedar-mosquito]

Among the leaves so green-o, as one song would have it. Unfortunately, lovely as the green shade of the forest is at this time of year, it’s also blackfly season. The rather more accurate song would be it’s the blackfly, the little blackfly, always the blackfly no matter where you go, I’ll die with the blackfly picking my bones in North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o.

[electricarmchair]

The Blackfly Song - Wade Hemsworth

An Electric Armchair cover

(Recorded on electric guitar in the morning, and fireworks from Chinguacousy Park in the evening.)

(... A canadian folk song about Ontario written by a guy from Ontario covered by me, also from Ontario, with a video of a celebration I recorded in Ontario on Canada Day... it doesn't get any more Canadian than this, eh!)

LYRICS:

'Twas early in the spring when I decided to go

For to work up in the woods in North Ontar-i-o

And the unemployment office said they'd send me through

To the Little Abitibi with the survey crew

--

And the black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o

--

And the man Black Tobey 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; we must find a way

For to make the Little Ab flow around the other way

--

With the black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o

--

So we survey to the east, survey to the west

Couldn't make our minds up how to do it best

Little Ab, Little Ab, what shall I do

I'm all but goin' crazy with the survey crew

--

And the black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o

--

It was blackfly, blackfly, everywhere

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

Swimmin' in the soup, swimmin' in the tea

And the devil take the blackfly, let me be

--

Black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o

--

Black Tobey fell to swearin'; the work went slow

The state of our morale was a-gettin' pretty low

The flies swarmed heavy; hard to catch your breath

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

--

With the black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o

--

Well now, the bull cook's name was Blind River Joe

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

'Cause he bound up our bruises and he kidded us for fun

And he lathered us with bacon grease and balsam gum

--

And the black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o

--

And at last the job was over; Black Tobey 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

--

With the black flies, the little black flies

Always the black fly no matter where you go

I'll die with the black fly a-pickin' 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 fly no matter where you go

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

In North Ontar-i-o-i-o, in North Ontar-i-o