"Do You Think Work Is Hard?" - Adam Trahan

One of many Cajuns which headed the call by Columbia executives to record the music of their lives.  Adam Trahan (misspelled Trehan) headed to New Orleans briefly and recorded two songs, one which was about comparing hard work to the heartache of a loved one, "Do You Think Work Is Hard?" for Columbia (#40509).

Y'en a qui dit que travailler c'est dur,

Mais, travailler, mais ça c'est rien du tout,

Laissez-moi vous dire mais quoi c'est qu'est dur,

C'est quand on aime et qu'on est pas aimé,

S'en aller, oui, de la maison,

Mettre la table et pas capable d' souper,

S'en aller, oui, dehors pour se coucher,

Se mettre à jongler et pis se mettre à pleurer.

Y'en a qui dit mais travailler c'est dur,

Mais travailler, mais ça c'est rien du tout,

Laissez-moi vous dire mais quoi c'est qu'est dur

Lordy! Est d'aller auras de la belle,

et puis qu'elle te tourne le dos.

Nothing is more dissonant than hearing the impromptu guitarist's failure of finding the chords while the bass side of the accordion carries on with the song. Allegedly, Adam's guitarist couldn't make it and someone unfamiliar with the song, filled in. According to Ron Brown, the excessive demands upon Trahan's time conflicted with his plans to marry and get a 'responsible' job.1,2  By the time Columbia approached Adam to record again, he had already sold his accordion.2  Cajun musicians either fully embraced commercialization and it's fringe benefits or skirted the periphery like Trahan, disillusioned with the lifestyle.1

They are people who say that work is hard,

However, work, that's nothing,

Let me tell you what is hard otherwise,

This is when you love and are not loved back,

Go, yeh, to the house,

Set the table and not be able to have dinner,

Go, yeh, lie down outside,

Begin to reminiscence and worse, begin to cry.

They are people who say it's hard work,

However, work, that's nothing,

Let me tell you what is hard otherwise, 

Lordy! You to go to her,

And worse, she turns her back on you.

1. Cajun Breakdown : The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Accordions, Fiddles, Two-Step & Swing: A Cajun Music Reader by Ryan A. Brasseaux
3. Image by Devon F.
4. Lyrics by Jordy A, James P and Stephane F

Find:
CAJUN-Rare & Authentic (JSP, 2008)
Cajun Swamp Stomp, Vol 1 (Lumi, 2012)