"La Valse De St. Marie" - Vin Bruce

Cajun music titan Ervin "Vin" Bruce was born in Cut Off, Louisiana. His father, Levy played fiddle at local dances; usually in someone's front room. Vin learned to play guitar at an early age, at 14 he began playing and singing in a local band, performing once a week on the radio in New Orleans. At the age of seventeen Vin was brought to the attention of Don Law, legendary producer/A&R man for Colombia Records. Vin signed a contract with Colombia and became the first Cajun artist on a major label since the 1930's. He was also the first to record Cajun music with such Nashville professionals as Chet Atkins, Grady Martin, Tommy Jackson, Jack Shook, and Harold and Owen Bradley.1  

C'est pas la peine tu dis que "non",

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

À l'eglise Sainte-Marie.

Tous les deux pour la même,

Ni une ni l'autre tu l'auras,

Tout le soleil pour la brune,

Et pis y'as rien pour la blonde.

Les habits son achetes,

Mais, ton idée est changer,

Les consentements 'mendait,

Les alliances sont achetés.

C'est pas la peine tu dis que "non",

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

À l'eglise Sainte-Marie.

Que c'est la cause de tout ça,

C'est ces grands conseilleurs,

Mais, ces grands conseilleurs,

Et pas le grand un payeur.

C'est pas la peine tu dis que "non",

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

À l'eglise Sainte-Marie.

Tous les deux pour la même,

Ni une ni l'autre tu l'auras,

Tout le soleil pour la brune,

Pis y'as rien pour la blonde.

C'est pas la peine tu dis que "non",

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

Faudra bien qu'tu t'maries,

À l'eglise Sainte-Marie.

Vin Bruce

A direct interpretation of the old traditional tune "Tous Les Deux Pour La Même", a song made famous by Lawrence Walker years earlier, Vin sung of a darling named Marie and re-titled the tune as "La Valse De St. Marie" (#21189) for Columbia Records in 1953.   Working alongside Nashville producer Don Law, at the Tulane Hotel he was backed by Grady Martin and Jack Shook on guitars, Bob Foster on steel guitar, Ernie Newton on bass, Tommy Jackson on fiddle, and Papa John Gordy on piano.

It's not worth you saying no,

You have to get married,

You have to get married,

At St. Mary's Church.

Either of them, it's all the same,

Neither me nor you will have them,

All the sunshine for the brunette,

And then there's nothing for the blonde.

The clothes are purchased,

But, your mind is changing,

The consents (papers) are requested,

The wedding rings are bought.

It's not worth you saying no,

You have to get married,

You have to get married,

At St. Mary's Church.

What's the cause of all of this?

It's these folks giving advice

Well, it's these folks giving advice,

And not the ones paying (for everything). 

It's not worth you saying no,

You have to get married,

You have to get married,

At St. Mary's Church.

Either of them, it's all the same,

Neither me nor you will have them,

All the sunshine for the brunette,

And then there's nothing for the blonde.

It's not worth you saying no,

You have to get married,

You have to get married,

At St. Mary's Church.

In 1973, he was honored with "Vin Bruce Day" by his hometown and in 1978 he was Lafourche Parish's "Citizen of the Year" and has been inducted into several Country and Cajun Music Halls of Fame.1  

1. http://www.ponderosastomp.com/music_more.php/259/Vin+Bruce
2. Lyrics by Martn Cortez, Smith S, Stephane F and Jerry M

Release Info:
CO 49042/NASH 1630 La Valse De St. Marie | Columbia 4-21189
CO 49043/NASH 1631 Oh Ma Belle | Columbia 4-21189

Find:
Vin Bruce: King of Cajun Music: Dans la Louisianne (Bear Family, 2011)
Vin Bruce: Vintage Cajun Classics of the 1950's (Vintage Masters, 2012)

"Fille De La Ville" - Vin Bruce

Ervin "Vin" Bruce was a South Louisiana treasure of unparalleled significance. His signing to Columbia Records in the early fifties was positively historical in more ways than one. The first Cajun artist to be marketed to the widespread record buying public by a major record company, his first 1952 single, "Dans La Louisianne", backed with, "Fille De La Ville", was sung purely in French, but, like Harry Choates' "Jole Blon" before it, that didn't keep it from becoming a country music sensation.1 

Après chercher pour cette fille, cette fille de village,

Après chercher pour cette fille qu'aurais pas du s'en aller,

Après chercher pour cette fille, cette fille de village.

Quand tu m'vois après pleurer chere,

Après pleurer pour cette fille qui s'en a été hier,

Elle est la plus belle femme dans l'village,

Mais, j'connais j'va la r'voir une journée.

Vin Bruce
by Jack Vartoogian

Hailing from Bayou Lafourche, below New Orleans, Vin and his peers Leroy Martin, Gene Rodrigue and Dudley Bernard developed their own stripe of Cajun music; an accordion-less string band style that was as much hillbilly as it was French. Vin, along with Tommy Jackson on fiddle, Owen Bradley on piano, Bob Foster on steel guitar, Grady Martin on mandolin, and possibly Ernie Newton on bass, recorded "Fille De La Ville"(#20923) in Nashville in 1952.  Vin's Columbia sides brought that sound to the jukeboxes, airwaves and the Grand Ole Opry. Hank Williams was so endeared to Bruce's music that he invited him to play his public wedding ceremony at New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium.1  

Searching for this girl, this girl of the village,

Searching for this girl, that shouldn't have left,

Searching for this girl, this girl of the village.

When you see me crying dear,

Crying for this girl who was here yesterday,

She is the most beautiful woman in the village,

Well, I know I'll see her again one day.

Vin would continue to record with labels such as Swallow and perform throughout Louisiana. 

1. Vin Bruce - Dans La Louisianne BCD 16895 AH.  Liner notes.

Release Info:
CO 47686 Fille de la ville | Columbia 20923

CO 47687 Dans la Louisianne | Columbia 20923

Find:
Vin Bruce: King of Cajun Music: Dans la Louisianne (Bear Family, 2011)
Vin Bruce: Vintage Cajun Classics of the 1950's (Vintage Masters, 2012)