Gimmy Crack Corn

[J. Eulenberg]

A recent songbook notes that this song was picked up by the abolitionists,
given the "massa's gone, and I don't care" attitude of it.  I wonder if
that has shown up in any of the texts you've looked at.  It certainly
makes it more "tol'able" to sing in this day!

Julia Niebuhr Eulenberg <eulenbrg at u.washington.edu>

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004, Baker, John wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Baker, John" <JMB at STRADLEY.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Gimmy Crack Corn
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>         I always took "The Blue-Tail Fly" to be a sad song, but the
words are certainly consistent with either sorrow or happiness.  As far
as our initial question is concerned, of course, it doesn't matter whether
it is joy or grief that has so overcome the singer that Jim(my) crack corn
and he don't care.  Some versions of the song include the line "devil take
the blue-tail fly," which argues for grief.  On the other hand, this early
version of "Jim Crack Corn! I Don't Care," from Christy's Nigga Songster
(c. 1850), http://www.iath.virginia.edu/utc/minstrel/misocat.html, suggests
that no love is lost between the slave singer and the master.  Some people
think the song means that the slave himself caused his master's death, then
was able to blame it on the blue-tail fly.  Oddly, "Blue Tailed Fly," which
does not include the "Jim crack corn" chorus but tells a similar story, is in
the same collection.
>
>         I wonder how the slave was supposed to keep up with the master and
his pony in order to brush the flies away.  Brushing flies away, especially at
meals, certainly was one of the duties of household slaves, but I don't think
a slave on foot would have been expected to keep up with a pony, and he
probably would not have been given his own pony for the purpose.
>
>
> <<JIM CRACK CORN! I DON'T CARE.
>
> If you should go in summer time,
> To Souf Carolina sultra clime,
> And in de shade you chance to lie,
> You'll soon find bout dat blue tail fly.
> Jim crack corn I don't care!
> Jim crack corn! I don't care!
> For massa me gave away.
>
> When I was young I used to wait,
> On massa's table and hand de plate,
> I'd pass the bottle when he dry,
> An brush away de blue tail fly,
> Jim crack, etc.
>
> When ole massa take his sleep,
> He bid dis nigga sight to keep,
> An when he gows to shut his eye.
> He tell me watch dat blue tail fly.
> Jim crack, etc.
>
> Ole massa ride in arternoon,
> I follow arter wid a hickory broom,
> De pony he is bery shy,
> Kase he bitten by de blue tail fly.
> Jim crack, etc.
>
> De pony run dar jump an pitch,
> He trowed ole massa in the ditch,
> He died an de Jury all did cry,
> Dat de verdict was de blue tail fly.
> Jim Crack, etc.
>
> Ole massa's dead now let him rest,
> Dey say all tings am for de best,
> I nebber shall forget till the day I die,
> Ole massa and de blue tail fly.>>
>
>
> John Baker
>