"Le Valse Ah Abe" - Amede Ardoin

Taking to the roads is often a response to a broken heart. References to turning to the roads out of desperation or unhappiness are frequent.  This song, in which Amede Ardoin calls himself an "orphan," makes a connection between the road and homelessness. In 1929, Ardoin would travel with Dennis McGee to New Orleans and record the song "Le Valse Ah Abe" for Columbia/Okeh records (#40511). The figure of the hobo or "orphan," cut off from the family and community ties so important in Cajun society, is a recurrent one which adds another dimension of meaning to the symbol of the road.  Taking to the roads is often a response to a broken heart.1

Moi j'm'en vas à la maison, 

Moi tout seul, quo' faire un orphelin, 

Il y a personne pour me faire mon besoin,

Comment je v'as faire? Prend tout la, oui, du chemin. 

Ton papa et mes parents,

Je pense, je vas faire jamais vous autres vas me voir encore,

Mes souffrances sont après m'en aller,

Tous ces tracas m'en aller, moi tout seul.

Moi, je connais pas si jamais je va revenir encore, 

Sera pour voir mes parents, ouais, et me femme,

Je suis condamné pour quatre vingt dix neuf ans,

Je connais pas si je vas r'venir donc jamais. 

Oh toi, tit fille,

Quand tu m'abaisses je m'en aller, moi tout seul,

Quand quelqu'un quitte leurs chagrins pour amuser,

Je comptais pas si tu peux remercier ton papa et ta maman.

Abe's Palace, second floor

Abe is actually Abe Boudreau, the owner of the first Cajun dance hall in Eunice, Abe's Palace.  It was located on the second floor of the Ardoin Building.  Originally owned by Geroge Stagg and Ferdinand Tate, the second owner Aldin Picou rebuilt a brick building after it burned down.  Once Abe purchased the place, he rented the down stairs to Didier Ardoin in order to run a store until 1935 when Didier became the forth owner. 

It was there that Amede and Sady Courville played together every Saturday night during the 1930s.2  Abe had a furniture store on the first floor but kept the dancehall upstairs known for it's "strict moral code", where "nothing offensive will be permitted".3 Most likely Ardoin had heard the melody from a older song, one that also influenced Bartmon Montet & Joswell Dupuis in New Orleans entitled "L'Abandonner (The Forsaken)" for Victor records (#22211).  

I'm going back to my house,

Myself, a life of a poor orphan,

No one to take care of my needs,

What am I going to do? Yeh, I'll take to the road.

Your daddy, and my parents,

I think, I'll never make you have to see me again,

My sufferings are almost gone,

All these worries, I'm leaving, all alone.

I don't know if I'll ever come back again,

To see my parents, yes, and my woman,

I'm condemned to 99 years,

I do not know if I'll come back ever.

Oh, you little girl,

When you put me down, I'll leave, all alone,

When someone leaves sorrows for fun,

I can't count on you, for that, thank your pop and mom.

It's one of the more lyrically challenging songs in Ardoin's repertoire. A very similar theme to Douglas Bellard's "Mon Camon La Case Que Je Suis Cordane", Ardoin sings of leaving, going away for 99 years, never to see his lover, her dad, or his parents again. The song would later be recorded by Aldus Roger as "Lifetime Waltz" in 1953 and Iry Lejeune as "Convict Waltz" around 1954.   It's commonly referred to as the "99 Year Waltz" or "La Valse De Quatre-Vingt-Dix-Neuf Ans".  According to Allmusic's Thom Jurek:

There is no grain in Ardoin's voice, it is the grain, and the green and the mud and the water all rolled up into a hot sticky mass of emotion. 

1. http://www.louisianafolklife.org/lt/articles_essays/creole_art_oral_poetry_caj.html
2. The New Grove Gospel, Blues, and Jazz: With Spirituals and Ragtime By Paul Oliver
3. The Eunice News: March 1924
4. Lyrics by Jerry M and Stephane F and Phoebe T
5. Yann Dour et Eric Martin "l'accordéon cajun"
6. Label photo source.  University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  Cajun and Creole. Special Collections.

Find:
Amadé Ardoin – Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 6 : Amadé Ardoin – The First Black Zydeco Recording Artist (1928–1938) (Old Timey)
Cajun Dance Party: Fais Do-Do (Legacy/Columbia, 1994)
Prends Donc Courage - Early Black & White Cajun (Swamp Music Vol. VI) (Trikont, 2005)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)
Mama, I'll Be Long Gone: The Complete Recordings of Amede Ardoin 1929-1934 (Tompkins, 2011)

In 1946, Harry Choates took the Breaux family recording "Ma Blonde Est Partie" and made "Jole Blon" into a regional hit.  It didn't take long for other country-western groups to latch onto the song.  After Harry re-recorded it as "New Jolie Blonde" in 1946, he sold the rights to Moon Mullican, which made it's way up to #2 in 1947.    Red Foley did the same in early 1947 and made it reach #1 for two weeks.  Roy Acuff and his Smokey Mountain Boys recorded a harmonica-driven "(Our Own) Jole Blon" (#37287) on January 28, 1947, approximately two weeks after Folley's hit.   His interpretation synthesized specific elements found in the Cajun “Jole Blon”.1 Roy's adaptations of the song deepened national interest in Cajun music.2

Roy had started his recording career in the 1930s as the vocalist and fiddler for the Smoky Mountain Boys. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1938, and although his popularity as a musician waned in the late 1940s, he remained one of the Opry's key figures and promoters for nearly four decades. In 1942, Acuff co-founded the first major Nashville-based country music publishing company—Acuff-Rose Music—which signed acts such as Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and The Everly Brothers.3  

Allegedly, it was this version that most likely inspired Bruce Springsteen and Gary US Bonds to record their version in 1980.  The group consisted of Roy Acuff on vocals, Lonnie Wilson on guitar, Brother Oswald Kirby on dobro, Jess Easterday on madolin, Velma Williams on bass, Tommy Magness on violin, and Francis “Sonny Day” Tamvourin possibly on accordion, but more likely on harmonica.  It was recorded at the CBS Studio (Radio Station KNX) in Hollywood, CA.

Roy Acuff

Jole Blon, Delta Flower

You're my darling, you're my sunshine

You know I love you, adore you

Forever I love you

And I promise I'll always be true

Oh ho ho

Ah ha ha

In the evening, in the shadows

I'll be waiting in Louisiana

And when I hear your sweet voice

I'll rejoice, I'll be happy

And saving my kisses for you

Jole Blon, Cajun Angel

Let me tell you how I love you

In the springtime you promised

That we would be married

And I'm waiting, still waiting for you

Oh ho ho

Ah ha ha

When your hair turns to silver

I'll still call you, Delta Flower

Pretty Blon, I still love you

I love you I promise

And I'm patiently waiting for you

Oh ho ho

Ah ha ha

After leaving the Opry, Acuff spent several years touring the Western United States, although demand for his appearances dwindled with the lack of national exposure and the rise of musicians such as Ernest Tubb and Eddy Arnold, who were more popular with younger audiences.  In 1991, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts and given a lifetime achievement award by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the first Country music act to receive the esteemed honor.3 

1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Crossroads: A Southern Culture Annual By Ted Olson
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Acuff

Find:
Jole Blon - 23 Artists One Theme (Bear, 2002)

Countrypolitan Classics - Roy Acuff (Reloaded, 2013)

"Hackberry Hop" - Leo Soileau

The 1935 Bluebird recording of Leo Soileau and his Three Aces' "Hackberry Hop" (#2086) consists of Leo Soileau singing and playing fiddle, Floyd Shreve on guitar, Bill (Dewey) Landry on guitar and Tony Gonzales on drums. The Hackberry Hop was a melody which was recorded much earlier in 1928 and 1929.  Like many traditional Cajun and black Creole compositions, it possesses an extremely complex genealogy, reflected in part by the various renderings of its title.3  It's based on Cleoma Breaux's "Ils La Volet Mon Trancas" and the Breaux brother's "T'as Vole Mon Chapeau".  All three of these songs will be used as the source for the post-war song "Hip et Taïaut" made popular by Harry Choates, Abe Manuel, Bobby Page, Link Davis, Moise Robin, Doug Kershaw, Jimmy Newman and others.  

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon traineau, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon traineau, chere,

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon capot, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon capot, chere,

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon capot, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon capot.

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon traineau, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon traineau, chere,

C’est les huppés taiauts, chere, qu’a volé mon capot, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon capot, chere,

C’est les fille des Bosco, chere, qu’a vole mon gilet, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon gilet, chere.

C’est les fille des Bosco, chere, qu’a vole mon gilet, chere,

Quand t’as vu j’était chaud, chere, t’as ramené mon gilet, chere.

Danny Boulet, Jerry Baker, Leo Soileau
Bheul Hoffpauir

Image courtesy of Johnnie Allan & the 

Center for Louisiana Studies, 

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

According to Lomax, it is thought that such phrases as “Whoopie Ti Yi Yo!” found in the Western classic “Git Along Little Doggies” is derived from the exclamation “Hip et Taïaut” and its variations that were heard in the Cajun prairies.  Black Creole versions of the song bear the titles "Les Haricots Sont Pas Sales" and "Zydeco Est Pas Sale".3 

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my sled dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my sled, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my hat dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my hat, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my hat dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my hat, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my sled, dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my sled, dear,

It's the sly dogs, dear, that stole my hat dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my hat, dear,

It's the daugher of Bosco, dear, that stole my jacket, dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my jacket, dear.

It's the daughters of Bosco, dear, that stole my jacket, dear,

When you saw I was angry, dear, you've brought back my jacket, dear.

Bosco is a small community in south Louisiana, near Sunset.  It is not on most maps.  Bosco became famous locally in the 30s when it became on of the first oil fields in the state.4  Referencing the "daughters of Bosco" as "he" is confusing.   According to annotator Catherine Blanchet:

I do not know why the singer did not make the pronoun agree in number and gender with the noun it stands for.  He probably didn't even notice he hadn't.  Words are secondary in this music, anyway.4 

Some recent research has alluded to the fact the song may be the precursor to Clarence Garlow's "Route 90", Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" and the Beach Boys' "Surfin U.S.A.".

1. Label scan by University of Louisiana at Lafayette Cajun and Creole Music Collection - Special Collections
2. http://jopiepopie.blogspot.com/2014/01/ils-la-volet-mon-trancas-1934-hackberry.html
3. Swamp Pop: Cajun and Creole Rhythm and Blues By Shane K. Bernard
4. Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 3: The String Bands Of The 1930s.  Liner notes. 
5. Lyrics by Jerry M and Stephane F

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 3: The String Bands Of The 1930s (Old Timey/Arhoolie, 1971)
Gran Prairie: Cajun Music Anthology, Vol. 3: The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions (Country Music, 1994)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)
J'ai Ete Au Bal - Vol. 1 (I Went To The Dance) (Arhoolie, 2011)

"Step It Fast" - Nathan Abshire

Nathan Abshire was one of the finest Cajun musicians to emerge in the years following World War II. Deeply influenced by the Creole musician Amede Ardoin, Abshire's best recordings are in the blues idiom. This collection brings together recordings from the 1950s at the height of the Cajun accordion revival. This is dance-hall music, brash and beautiful, and almost defiantly Cajun.  'Ernest' listed would be Ernest Thibodeaux, Nathan's guitarist.   He had sang on several of Nathan's recordings.  Here, they covered the Breaux Brother's "Vas Y Carrément (Step It Fast)", a tune which the Segura Brothers wrote about a fictional pimp and his ladies of the night.

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

D’la bouillie, d’la peau de lapin,

T’en as eu, mais  t’en eu plus,

C’est la fille à Tante Aline,

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

D’la bouillie, d’la peau de lapin,

T’en as eu, mais t’en as plus,

C’est etait pour moi.

Ahhh! C’est la peau de lapin.

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

D’la bouillie, d’la peau de lapin,

T’en as eu, mais  t’en eu plus,

J’etait chasse la fillle à Tante Aline,

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

Tout ça qui reste c’est tout pour moi.

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

D’la bouillie, d’la peau de lapin,

T’en as eu, mais  t’en eu plus,

J’etait chasse la fillle à Tante Aline,

T’en as eu, mais t’en eu plus,

Tout ça qui reste tout pour moi, mais malheurese.

Nathan Abshire

He attempted to write lyrics to this fast-paced tune, creating one of the most difficult Cajun tunes to sing! A frantic tune, it would leave most dancers exhausted. However, instead about a fictional pimp, Nathan's song is about cooking food and explaining to someone "You've had some, the rest is for me". Afterwards, the tune would be recorded by many local Cajun musicians. 

The session includes Ozide Kegley, the wife of Will Kegley.  Ozide was an excellent drummer, skillfully punctuating the music and kicking it along with each new verse.  She did not subscribe to the hypnotic bass drum technique and the recording's sound comes closest to how the Pine Grove Boys actually sounded on stage. "Step It Fast" (#114) does just that and is a dynamic recording at the fastest tempo the band had so far recorded.2    

You've had some, well, you want more,

Of boiled rabbit skins,

You've had some, well, you've had more,

She's the daughter of Aunt Aline.

You've had some, well, you want more,

Of boiled rabbit skins,

You've had some, well, you want more,

It's all for me.

You've had some, well, you want more,

Of boiled rabbit skins,

You've had some, well, you want more,

I'm chasing the daughter of Aunt Aline.

You've had some, well, you want more,

You've had some, well, you want more,

All the rest, it's all for me.

You've had some, well, you want more,

Of boiled rabbit skins,

You've had some, well, you want more,

I'm chasing the daughter of Aunt Aline.

You've had some, well, you want more,

All the rest, it's all for me, oh well.

It was one of Virgil Bozman's last recordings he pressed for Nathan.   By this point, Bozman was outsourcing his O.T. record production by mailing his masters to Stephen Shaw and George Weitlauf in Cincinatti, OH.  George Weitlauf was a mechanical engineer who designed equipment and directed projects for several large companies in the first half of the 20th century. Their plant had the typical "waves" logo on the label.  

When Shaw opened in 1949 there were very few record pressing plants in the United States. The only other one in Cincinnati was King's and at that time they exclusively pressed their own product. Shaw was unique in the mid-west and was immediately successful. In September 1951, just as the company was hitting it's stride, tragedy struck as George Weitlauf suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 61. His wife, Ann, managed to keep the business stable and growing for a few more years but then sales began to decline. In 1955, Carl Burkhardt made a serious effort to hire away many of Shaw's employees to work at his new pressing operation.1

1. http://www.45rpmrecords.com/date_shaw.php
2. Cajun Honky Tonk: The Khoury Recordings, Vol. 2. Liner notes.
3. Lyrics by Jerry M

Find:
Nathan Abshire & the Pine Grove Boys - French Blues (Arhoolie, 1993)

"Ma Chere Vieux Maison Dan Suet" - J.B. Fuselier

In the mid-1930s, fiddler Jean Batiste “J. B.” Fuselier joined tenor banjoist Beethoven Miller and guitarist Preston Manuel to form Miller's Merrymakers. What many don't know is J. B., who was at the center of the string band movement, always carried his accordion with him to play in case it was called for.   However, he never recorded with it until the 1960s.   

V'est ma chère vieille maison dans le sud,

J'ai quitter pour m'en aller,

Tous les anges ont chanté,

J'après m'en revenir,

C'est ma chère vieille maison dans le sud.

De mon papa et ma chère maman,

J'ai quitter ça tous tracassé,

Mais ça sera pas longtemps,

Je suis après m'en revenir,

C'est ma chère vieille maison dans le sud.

Dis adieu mes chères amis,

Dis adieu j'après m'en revenir,

Mais j'ai douté,

D'avoir eu quitté,

C'est ma chere vieille maison dans le sud.

J.B. Fuselier

In 1938, Fuselier recorded a number of tunes in New Orleans with "Ma Chere" in the title, with this one using a melody from Jimmie Rodgers.  "Ma Chere Vieux Maison Dan Suet" (#2041) on Bluebird records was part of the repertoire and his Merrymakers consisted of Preston Manuel guitar and probably M.J. Achten on guitar.  Author Ryan Brasseaux discusses this E.T. Cozzens and Jimmie Rodgers 1928 cover tune:

Though the band steered toward traditional Cajun musical expression, their instrumental arrangements and vocal delivery carried the synthetic mark of hillbilly and Western swing on occasion in the form of harmonizing and yodeling. Neither vocal delivery was characteristic of the singing technique employed during the early commercial era.  Rather, Merrymaker recordings such as "Ma Chere Vieux Maison Dan Suet" set to the melody of "Dear Old Sunny South By The Sea" provides a succinct example of both harmony and yodeling within the Cajun idiom. 1

This is my dear old house in the south,

I left to go all by myself,

All the angels sang,

Afterwards, I'll come back,

This is my dear old house in the south.

My father and my dear mother,

I left all worried,

But it will not be a long time,

Afterwards, I will return,

This is my dear old house in the south.

Say goodbye my dear friends,

Say goodbye, afterwards, I'll be back,

But I have doubts,

Having already left,

This is my dear old house in the south.

1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Lyrics by 'ericajun'

Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)

"J'ai Pres Parley" - Hackberry Ramblers

The Hackberry Ramblers were founded in 1933 by Luderin Darbone. He was living in the small oilfield town of Hackberry, Louisiana. That's where the band gets its name. They invoke the feeling of a dusty slat floor under your feet, in a little joint in the middle of nowhere on a Saturday night, hot and humid air being stirred by old creaky ceiling fans. The screen door bangs open and shut as the regulars come in to join the party. Just the purest Cajun voice singing patois and the songs passed from generation to generation. The group consisted of members living in various locations, each having to travel.  Luderin Darbone recalls moving:

When I moved to Crowley, I had Lennis. He moved down. Lennis is from Vinton, a little town west of here. We decided if we moved to Crowley it would be more of a central location for us so that's what we did.1

Moi j’ai une fille une t’brin fou,

Cause dans la cuisine avec les pieds dans l'eau,

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Ça fait pas rien quoi te fais.  Hey, petite.

Te voir une fille jamais voir la meme,

Moi, j'ai une fille qui est plus belle que la tienne,

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Ça fait pas rien quoi te fais.

Elle a vendu du whisky, elle vendu du Gin, 

Elle a vendu au juge, elle à vendu a Dieu,

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Je vais parler de toi, vais parler de toi, 

Luderin Darbone

Ça fait pas rien quoi te fais.

"Jai Pres Parley" (#2013) is the corrupted form of the phrase "j'ai près parler", but closer along the lines of "je vais parler de toi" or "I"m talking about you". While the lady is accused of "vendu a Dieu", it's most probably a reference to a local church leader.  It's a neat bluesy boogie song, very much influenced by the Texas swing coming from the west.  Lennis Sonnier sang alongside Joe Werner on harmonica/guitar and Johnny Puderer on bass with Luderin on fiddle in this 1937 New Orleans piece.

I have a daughter who's slightly crazy,

Stands in the kitchen with her feet in water,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

It's nothing that you've done.  Hey, little one.

You'll never see a girl the same way,

I have a daughter who is more beautiful than yours,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

It's nothing that you've done.

She sold whiskey, she sold gin,

She sold to the judge, she sold to the priest,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

I'm talking about you, talking about you,

It's nothing that you've done.

1. http://arhoolie.org/hackberry-ramblers/
2. Lyrics by Jerry M, Stephane F, and 'ericajun'

Release Info:
BS 07221-1 Cajun Crawl | Bluebird B-2013-A
BS 07226-1 Jai Pres Parley | Bluebird B-2013-B

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Volume 8: The Hackberry Ramblers - Early Recordings 1935-1948 (Old Timey, 1988)
Hackberry Ramblers: Early Recordings 1935-1950 (Arhoolie, 2003)
Cajun Country, Vol. 2, More Hits from the Swamp (JSP, 2005)

"Fe Fe Ponchaux" - Joe Falcon

Joe Falcon knew how to make ‘em dance and he and his wife, guitarist Cleoma Breaux (listed as Clemo) certainly rattle the floorboards on songs like "Fe Fe Ponchaux" in their 1928 Columbia records recording done in New Orleans. It is a particularly rhythmic, hard-driving two-step with some loose similarities with the Bixy Guidry recording of "I Am Happy Now".

The instrumental song refers to a girl named Fifi (sometimes spelled "Fe Fe Fancho", "Fee Fee Poncho", "Fifi Font Chaud" or "Fee Fee Foncheaux"), a French-Mexican beauty known for her sauce-piquante and her two-step ability while listening and winking to Cajun musicians.  The melody is based on an old Acadian ballad called "La petite Anna a Mogene Meaux," associated with the Cajun ballad singer Lula Landry, performed for Dr. Barry Ancelet in a field recording.  In that song, it tells the strange story of Little Anna, who is being twirled so fast on the dance floor that she is slowly disappearing. 

Fe Fe Ponchaux
By Alyssa Hughes

All that's left is the bun in her hair and her red ribbon.  Soon there will be nothing left of her.  Her partner is turning her so fast he is going to kill her.  

The most popular version would be recorded by Nathan Abshire called "Musical Five Special" for Khoury's label and then again in 1967 for La Louisiane. Over the years, many would record this tune, such as musician Leeman Prejean recording the tune as "Accordion Two Step" and Belton Richard would naming it "Il Fait Chaud".  As far as the traditional ballad, "Petite Anna" would be resurrected later by Steve Riley.

Majestic Hotel in Lake Charles, 1928.

1. Cajun and Creole Music Makers by Barry Jean Ancelet
2. Accordion Dreams: A Journey Into Cajun and Creole Music By Blair Kilpatrick
3. Liner notes of Michael Doucet & Beausoleil - Deja vu
4. http://www.redlick.com/review_read.php?id=92

Find:

Cajun Swamp Stomp, Vol. 1

Cajun: Rare & Authentic (JSP, 2008)

Anthology of American Folk Music (Smithsonian Folkways, 1997)
The Harry Smith B-Sides (Dust-To-Digital, 2020)