"It's All Over" - Pal Thibodeaux

"C'est Tout Fini!"  Elie Daise "Pal" Thibodeaux, Jr. was a Louisiana born musician that had teamed up with Bill Nettles and his Dixie Blue Boys recording for Mercury records.  Together they recorded tunes and broadcasted on KMLB in Monroe, Louisiana.3

By 1949, Pal had served in the navy, married Bill Nettle's daughter, Loyce, and began working with Bill as his guitarist and she as his vocalist.2  Bill's group consisted of Robert Shivers on fiddle, Pal on piano or guitar, Danny Dedmon on guitar, Levele Johnes on guitar, and Loyce on bass.  But by 1950, Pal and Loyce left "showbiz" and settled in Port Arthur, Texas.6

Longtemps Louisiane, t'es m'a quitter,

Tu m’as lessé pour toi aller,

Pour toi aller-z avec un autre,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

C'est tout fini, ma criminelle,

C'est tout fini, pour nous autres,

Longtemps Louisiane, t'es m’as lessé,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

Oh, mais, chere tit fille.

C'est tout fini, criminelle,

Oh ye yaille, mon coeur sur fait mal,

Jus pasque c'est m'a quitter pour toi,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

C'est tout fini, criminelle,

C'est tout fini, pour toi aller,

Longtemps Louisiane, t'es m’as lessé,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

Te m’as lessé pour ton aller,

Oh ye yaille, mon coeur sur fait mal,

Jus pasque c'est m'a quitter tout seul,

Criminelle, pour mon tout seul.

By 1951, he was working with T. Tex Tyler but left that year and headed back with Bill's group on KNOE.5   That same year, he signed with 4-Star records and recorded "It's All Over" (#4082).7  Before his recording career took off, he was shipped off to Korea to fight in the army. En route overseas, Pal formed a Western band aboard ship with Neal Merritt, who also cut for 4-Star and gave six shows on the high seas for which he revived an official commendation from his superior officers.1    

Long time ago in Louisiana, you have left me,

You've left to go away,

You've gone away with another,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

It's all over, it's terrible,

It's all over, for us,

Long time ago in Louisiana, you have left,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

Oh, well, dear little girl.

It's all over, it's terrible,

Oh ye yaille, my heartache, feeling bad,

Just because you've left me,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

It's all over, it's terrible,

It's all over, for you've gone away,

Long time ago in Louisiana, you have left me,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

You've left me to go away,

Oh ye yaille, my heartache, feeling bad,

Just because you've left me all alone,

It's terrible, for I'm all alone.

After the war, in 1953, he released "Port Arthur Boogie" for Sky Line records.8  By 1955, he had left 4 Star and switched to Imperial, changing his name to "Little Pal Hardy" (an ode to his mother Rena Hardy) while stationed in Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.4 

1. Billboard magazine. Sep 13, 1952
2. Billboard magazine. Aug 26, 1950
3. The Mercury Labels: The 1945-1956 era By Michel Ruppli
4. Billboard magazine. Feb 12, 1955
5. Billboard magazine. Nov 24, 1951
6. Billboard magazine.  Jul 22, 1950
7. Billboard magazine. Apr 21, 1951
8. Billboard magazine. Feb 21, 1953
9. Lyrics by WF and Jerry M