"Your Papa Threw Me Out" - Joe Manuel

The Manuels, Abe and Joe, were a musical family from Oberlin, Louisiana near Basile.  Having spent time in Leo Soileau's band in the early 1940s, after the war, both began playing with Harry Choates' Melody Boys.   Joe usually backed up Harry on banjo while Joe's wife played piano.   After Harry's hi-jinks caused the band to split in 1948, Joe formed a group to record other traditional Cajun tunes he was familiar with.  He kept the band name Melody Boys and his brother joined him.

Oh, ton papa m’a jeté dehors de ma maison

Il m’a jeté dehors de ma maison, de ma maison, moi-même chérie

Hé, malheureuse, j’mérite pas ça ‘tite fille

Oh, ton papa m’a jeté dehors de ma maison

Il m’a jeté dehors de ma maison, de ma maison, moi-même chérie

Hé, un jour à venir, t’auras du regret, ‘tite fille

Joe Manuel, Eddie Caldwell, Crawford Vincent,
Abe Manuel Sr, Carlo Bordelon

Image courtesy of Johnnie Allan & the 

Center for Louisiana Studies, 

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Joe's group covered the 1928 Leo Soileau and Mayuse Lafleur tune called "Your Father Put Me Out".  It was a tune Mayuse sang about his father-in-law, a person he had no respect for.  Joe had no trouble singing the French lyrics and placing his hillbilly band behind it.   It had been recently recorded by Lawrence Walker's band as "Ton Papa Ta Mama Ma Sta Da All".  Harry Choates recorded the same tune as "Tondelay".

Oh, your daddy threw me out of my house,

He threw me out of my house, from my house, myself dear,

Oh my, I didn't deserve that little girl.

Oh, your daddy threw me out of my house

He threw me out of my house, from my house, myself dear,

Hey, one day soon, you'll regret this, little girl.

1. Lyrics by Stephane F