"La Valse de Madame Sosten" - Joe Falcon

In 1934, Decca picked up where Columbia/Okeh, Brunswick and Vocalion had left off in 1930.   Only RCA Victor had decided to stay in the market, releasing Cajun music on it's subsidiary label, Bluebird.  By this time, Decca had heard about Joe and Cleoma's Bluebird recordings and decide to kick off their new "Cajun" music series with their first release, "La Valse de Madame Sosten" (#17000). This would lead the way for Decca recording many more Cajun music artists between 1934 and 1939 such as Leo Soileau, Amede Ardoin, Doc Guidry, Joe Werner, and the Faubacher brothers as Jolly Boys of Lafayette.  The duo traveled to New York City by bus and wrote one of the most well known waltzes in Cajun music.   

Oh Madame Sosthène, mais donnez moi Alida,

La seule moi j'aimais, mais depuis l'âge de quatorze ans.

Quand même tu ne veux pas, faudra toujours toi tu viens,

Faudra toi tu viens, mais (z)un beau jour avant d'mourir.

Au jour d'aujourd'hui, mais c'que j'voudrais m'la promène,

ça s'rait tu m'voirais, comment mais moi j'fais pitié.

Tu sais dans toi-même, j'ai plus personne pour m'aimer

Faudra moi j'l'endure jusqu'à à l'âge de quatorze ans.

C'est dur de me voir, mais m'en aller moi tout seul,

J'suis obligé d'm'en aller, mais par rapport à ça t'as dit.

T'aurais donc voulu, mais m'écouter tu voirais,

Tu voirais pour toi-même mais quoi t'as fais (z)avec moi.

It's a story about Joe's aunt, Josephine Trahan, wife of Sostene Falcon.  Her daughter, Alida, is the subject of a love interest in which a likely older man begs Mrs. Sosthene to have Alida for himself.  He has been interested in her for 14 years and while he walks away, he's heartbroken and wants her family to know this. 

Sosthene Falcon and 
"Madame Sosthene" (Josephine Trahan Falcon)

Oh Madame Sosthène, let me have Alida,

She's the one I've loved since the age of 14.

Even though you do not want me to, I'll come visit,

Just need to one more time before I die.

Today's the day if you want to come with me,

You will see for yourself, how pitiful I am,

You know this yourself, I have no one to love me,

I've endured this since the age of 14.

Alida Falcon

It's hard for me to leave by myself,

I have to leave, but, it's because of what you've done, 

You should have wanted to listen, but, you'll see,

You'll see for yourself what you've done to me.

Alida Falcon would grow up around north of Rayne near the other Falcon families.  She got married and moved to Port Neches, TX living a quiet life as a mother.   They remember her as soft-spoken. Later in the 1950s, Lawrence Walker would take the song, "Madame Sostan", and change the lyrics to have Alida's love interest threaten to take her away through the window. 

1. Lyrics by Jerry M

Release Info:

39185-A La Valse De Madam Sosten (Mrs. Sosten Waltz) | Decca 17000 A

39186-A Mes Yeux Blues (My Blue Eyes) | Decca 17000 B

Find:
Pioneers of the Cajun Accordion (Arhoolie, 1989)
Cajun Louisiane 1928-1939 (Fremeaux, 2003)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)