This curious little ditty was printed on several broadsheets earlier in the 19th century and the full tale which is rather coarse, tells of three flies setting off from home, running into various difficulties, including one of the flies drowning in treacle. The broadsheet ends with the moralistic
“Now all young men inclined to road,
Take my advice and stay at home.”
The song has only been found this once in oral tradition, happily.
Notes by Gwilym Davies