Stouts - Grant Abbott

A playful yet true-to-life Newfoundland folk story about grit, reflex, and the stubborn joy of summer. This song takes on the notorious stouts, AKA horseflies: a relentless little enemy that haunts beaches, woods, and lakesides and where the land meets the sea.

It’s not just about flailing at the air.
Anyone who’s fought them knows: a swat isn’t enough.

You’ve got to grip them mid-flight between your fingers, crush them in your palm, or clap with speed and pressure to kill.

Miss once and they’ll be back for blood.
If your not strong enough, they will rise from the ground or surface of the water, and come right back at ya!

If it’s your buddy or children under attack, sometimes you’ve got to slap em, right up the side of their head to save them.

“You can catch ’em if you try,
but you’ve got to be fast,
waving like a crazy man
as they dart and dash.”

At its core, this is a song about refusing to let life’s irritations chase you inside.

Stouts may be vicious, more stubborn than mosquitoes, but with focus, patience, and a little luck, you can win.

They’re a pain in the ass, sure, but they remind us that nature’s tests are part of the joy of being alive outside.

Keywords: Newfoundland Newfoundlander Not a Bear Pupper ;) Musgrave Harbour Canada Canadian Male Vocals Vocal Original Song Thank You!