Yellow-Backed Fly
Steve Martin/The Steep Canyon Rangers Lyrics

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Carolina time, grab the fishing line.
Gonna get old Jim with the yellow-backed fly.
Bought it in a store, paid a little more.
Gonna catch that fish with the yellow-backed fly.

Tried it last June with a lit firefly,
Layed it on the water with a perfect bullseye.
Well Jim made a splash, gone in a flash.

Beneath the water I heard him laugh.

I go at six am, quiet as a hymn.
Gonna catch old Jim with the Yellow-Backed Fly.
Gonna catch him right, gonna catch him quick.
Take him by surprise at the bottom of the crick.

He lives beneath a rock, underneath the shade.
I will have him made with the yellow-backed fly.
Here I am at last, lying in the grass.
A quiet little cast with the yellow-backed fly.

Felt a little tug, well Jim had bit the bug.
Then I let him run with the yellow-backed fly.
Jumped up on the land, spit it in my hand.
He said "Nice try with the yellow-backed fly".

Then he swam away, I gave him a farewell.
Now I'm going home with a story to tell.
I put the truck in gear, I'll be back next year.
Gonna make a fly with a hypnotizing eye.

I go at six am, quiet as a hymn.
Gonna catch old Jim with the yellow-backed fly.
Twenty inches long, measured with a stick.
He's old Jim but to me he's Moby Dick.

I go at six am, quiet as a hymn.
Gonna catch old Jim with the yellow-backed fly.

Twenty inches long, measured with a stick.
He's old Jim but to me he's Moby Dick.

Overall Meaning

The song "Yellow-Backed Fly" by Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers is a story about the pursuit of a fish called Jim with a yellow-backed fly. The lyrics portray a fisherman's patience and dedication to the sport. The fishing trip begins at Carolina time, and the fisherman is determined to catch Jim with the yellow-backed fly that he bought from a store at a higher price. The first attempt with a firefly was successful, but Jim escapes. The fisherman returns to the creek with the yellow-backed fly, determined to catch him this time. Jim lives under a rock, and the fisherman lays down in the grass with the yellow-backed fly to catch him again. Jim takes the bait, and the fisherman reels him in.

The song is a playful and humorous take on the sport of fishing, as illustrated by the fisherman's determination to catch Jim. The repetition of the chorus, "Gonna catch old Jim with the Yellow-Backed Fly," underscores the fisherman's single-minded pursuit of his prey. The lyrics also paint vivid images of the quiet and solitary nature of fishing, with lines like "quiet as a hymn" and "lying in the grass." The song ends with the fisherman returning home with a story to tell, promising to return again and make a fly with a hypnotizing eye.

Line by Line Meaning

Carolina time, grab the fishing line.
It's early in the morning and time to go fishing in Carolina.

Gonna get old Jim with the yellow-backed fly.
The singer is planning to catch a fish named Jim using a specific type of fly bait.

Bought it in a store, paid a little more.
The singer bought the fly bait from a store and paid extra money for it.

Gonna catch that fish with the yellow-backed fly.
The singer is confident that he will be able to catch the fish using the yellow-backed fly bait.

Tried it last June with a lit firefly,
The singer tried using a different type of fly bait (a firefly) last June.

Layed it on the water with a perfect bullseye.
The singer placed the firefly bait in the water with great accuracy (like hitting a bullseye).

Well Jim made a splash, gone in a flash.
Jim (the fish) quickly swam away after making a big splash in the water.

Beneath the water I heard him laugh.
The singer imagines the fish laughing at his failed attempt to catch him.

I go at six am, quiet as a hymn.
The singer goes fishing at a peaceful and quiet time (6am).

Gonna catch old Jim with the Yellow-Backed Fly.
The singer is determined to catch Jim (the fish) using the yellow-backed fly bait.

Gonna catch him right, gonna catch him quick.
The singer is confident that he will catch Jim quickly and efficiently.

Take him by surprise at the bottom of the crick.
The singer plans to catch Jim by surprising him at the bottom of the stream (a crick).

He lives beneath a rock, underneath the shade.
Jim (the fish) is hiding under a rock in the shade of the water.

I will have him made with the yellow-backed fly.
The singer believes that he will be able to catch Jim using the yellow-backed fly bait.

Here I am at last, lying in the grass.
The singer is in a peaceful and relaxing place (lying in the grass).

A quiet little cast with the yellow-backed fly.
The singer gently casts the yellow-backed fly bait into the water.

Felt a little tug, well Jim had bit the bug.
The singer feels a small pull on the fishing line and realizes that Jim has bitten the bait.

Then I let him run with the yellow-backed fly.
The singer allows Jim to take the bait and run with it for a short time.

Jumped up on the land, spit it in my hand.
The singer catches Jim and removes the bait from his mouth.

He said 'Nice try with the yellow-backed fly'.
The singer imagines Jim speaking to him and acknowledging the good effort he put into using the yellow-backed fly bait.

Then he swam away, I gave him a farewell.
The singer releases Jim back into the water and says goodbye to him.

Now I'm going home with a story to tell.
The singer has a new fishing story to share with his friends and family.

I put the truck in gear, I'll be back next year.
The singer is packing up and preparing to leave, but plans to return the following year.

Gonna make a fly with a hypnotizing eye.
The singer plans to create a new type of fly bait with a unique and captivating appearance.

Twenty inches long, measured with a stick.
Jim (the fish) is a large one, measuring twenty inches in length.

He's old Jim but to me he's Moby Dick.
The singer feels a deep connection to Jim and imagines him as the famous white whale from the novel 'Moby Dick'.

Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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