"En Jour A Venir (I'll Get Mine Bye And Bye)" - Sons Of Acadians

Jazz standards had their influence on much of the popular music in the larger cities of south Louisiana and east Texas, however, but it's impact in the Cajun prairies was much less obvious.  Prolific fiddler Oran "Doc" Guidry was no stranger to the genre and covered several tunes at a Decca session in Houston.  It's the Cajun rendition of a Columbia records 1925 jazz tune originally recorded by Fletcher Henderson and his orchestra.  It was based on the 1924 arrangement by Harry Pease; Ed Nelson; Larry Vincent called "Bye And Bye The Sun Will Shine".   The original recording features the famous Louis Armstrong on cornet.   

Oran "Doc" Guidry and his family gathered their group Sons Of Acadians together and recorded the tune "En Jour A Venir" (#17057).

J'm'en va dans l'chemin, j'me sens si bleu,

J'm'en va dans l'chemin, j'me sens si bleu, 

J'm'en va dans l'chemin,  j'me sens si bleu,

Perdu ma fille, mon buggie aussi,

J'va voir la mienne, un jour à v'nir.

J'va voir la mienne, un jour à v'nir,

J'va voir la mienne, un jour à v'nir,

J'va voir la mienne, un jour à v'nir,

Éoù les poules couchent pas si haut,

J'va voir la mienne, un jour à v'nir.

J'va à la rivière, c'est pour m'noyer,

J'va à la rivière, c'est pour m'noyer,

J'va à la rivière, c'est pour m'noyer,

Moi j'aime pas m'faire maltraiter,

J'va voir la mienne, un jour à v'nir.

Moi j'en va pour, pour r'joindre la mienne,

Moi j'en va pour, pour r'joindre la mienne,

Moi j'en va pour, pour r'joindre la mienne,

Elle a trouvé tout qu'que chose pour moi,

J' va voir la mienne un jour à v'nir.

Moi j'en va pour, pour r'joindre la Vielle ,

Moi j'en va pour, pour r'joindre la Vielle ,

Moi j'en va pour, pour r'joindre la Vielle ,

Elle a trouvé tout qu'que chose pour moi,

J'va voir la mienne un jour à v'nir.

By 1932, Jimmie Davis, along with Jack Davis, Jack Barnes, and Ruth White, traveled to Dallas and re-recorded the tune for Decca records.  It was most likely through Doc's friendship with Jimmie where he and his musicians first heard the tune, particularly with Decca crediting Jimmie as the author.  Texas swing adopted jazz stylings and many fiddle players in the region modeled their style after the popular genre.  

By 1939, Buddy Jones made the song quite popular in the South. The Sons of Acadians recorded the tune and featured Roscoe Whitlow on steel guitar, Nathan Guidry on string bass, and Sydney Guidry on vocals and guitar.  Sydney's line "un jour à v'nir" directly translates to "one day soon", however, the phrase "by and by" captures the underlying meaning better.  His phrase, "ayou les poules couchent pas si haut", contains the Cajun word "ayou", corrupted from "où est" and refers to the bottom rung of a chicken coup where droppings are piled up from nesting chickens above.

I headed down the path, I feel so blue,

I headed down the path, I feel so blue,

I headed down the path, I feel so blue,

Lost my daughter, my buggie also,

I'll get mine, by and by.

I'll get mine, by and by,

I'll get mine, by and by,

I'll get mine, by and by,

Where the chickens sleep, not very high up,

I'll get mine, by and by.

I'm going down to the river, in order to drown,

I'm going down to the river, in order to drown,

I'm going down to the river, in order to drown,

I don't like to be mistreated,

I'll get mine, by and by.

I'm going to pull myself together,

I'm going to pull myself together,

I'm going to pull myself together,

She found all these things for me,

I'll get mine, bye and bye.

I'm going to join my old lady,

I'm going to join my old lady,

I'm going to join my old lady,

She found all these things for me,

I'll get mine, by and by.

Later that same year, Louis Armstrong was now leading his own orchestra and re-recorded the tune for Decca as well.

1. Lyrics by Marc C