"Iota Two Step" - Nathan Abshire

Although not one of Nathan Abshire's more well known songs, this 1951 recording for George Khoury is a rough, upbeat song with his band called "The Musical Five".  In it, he had Will Kegley on fiddle, Ernest Thibodeaux on guitar, Atlas Fruge on lap steel, Jim Baker on bass, and Ozide Kegley on drums.  Together they recorded the "Iota Two Step"  (#612) in Lake Charles.  

‘Tite fille tu m’fais pitié

Ce soir après pleurer,

Ce soir après pleurer,

Quand même, mais malheureuse.

‘Tite fille c’est toi la cause

Mon cœur est si cassé,

‘Tite fille prends donc courage,

Allons j’viens avec toi.

‘Tite fille c’est toi la cause

Si moi, mais moi j’me va,

Si moi, mais moi j’me va,

Là-bas (z)à la maison.

Hey, mais ça ça m’fait du mal

Oh, ouais tu vas pleurer.

Nathan Abshire

Iota is a small town in southwest Louisiana located in the prairies. The song has similarities to the Walker Brothers' 1929 "La Breakdown La Louisianne" recorded for Brunswick in 1929.  In the following years, Robert Bertrand and Nolan Cormier renamed it as the "Pogey Boat Special". 

Lil girl, you make me pitiful

This evening, I cried

Tonight, I cried

Anyways, oh my, i'm miserable.

Lil girl, you're the reason

My heart is so broken,

So lil girl, be courageous,

I'll go with you.

Lil girl, you're the reason

So me, oh my, I'll be fine,

So me, oh my, I'll be fine,

There at the house.

Hey, but it's going to hurt

Oh, yeah you're gonna cry.

 According to Dr. Barry Ancelet, Nathan told him:

I learned to play by myself. I would hear and see others playing. I was six-years-old. I started playing an accordion that cost $3.50. It wasn’t mine. It was one of my uncles. I can’t read. I can’t sign my name, but I make up songs in my head. I listen to them on accordion until they sound like they’re supposed to.

1. http://www.offbeat.com/2003/10/01/masters-of-louisiana-music-nathan-abshire/

Release Info:
La Valse De Bayou Tech | Khoury's K-612-A
Iota Two Step | Khoury's K-612-B

Find:

Nathan Abshire - French Blues (Arhoolie, 1993)