"Les Escrives Dan Platin" - Happy Fats

The Crawfish in the Marsh!  Texas was a place where many Cajun-string bands headed to in order to record their music and Dallas was no exception.  Bluebird had brought several bands over to record in Dallas including Lawrence Walker for their Texas Centennial celebration in 1936.  Later, others were headed west to take part in the opportunities there.  

In 1937, Happy Fats took several band members on a tour of east Texas, playing in such places like Galveston and Port Arthur.  By 1938, Happy Fats had swapped members of his group for a recording session in Dallas where they recorded "Les Escrives Dan Platin" for Bluebird Records. 

According to author Ryan Brasseaux:

"Les Escrives Dan Platin" and "Les Tit Filles de Lafayette" embody the synthetic nature of Cajun swing. Both songs contain a unique blend of Cajun fiddling, Western swing, jazz back beats, solo "takeoffs" and tight Southern gospel harmonies rendered as French choruses.1

Ma p'tite fille est bien si belle,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Mais, j'connais y a pas juste elle,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Viens t'en donc, viens t'en donc,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Viens t'en donc oui quand tu veut,

Mais, viens t'en donc ma chérie.

Des ecrevisses dedans l'platin,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Va attraper demain matin,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Viens t'en donc, viens t'en donc,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Viens t'en donc oui quand tu veut,

Mais, viens t'en donc ma chérie.

Ouai de gumbo et d'la sauce,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Si n'y a pas, c'est pas d'ma faute,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Viens t'en donc, viens t'en donc,

Viens t'en donc ma chérie,

Viens t'en donc oui quand tu veut,

Mais, viens t'en donc ma chérie.

Rayne Tribune
June 18, 1937

While some today use the word "platin" to refer to a low lying marshy area, at the turn of the century, Cajuns referred to a "platin" as a small circular pond, formed from rain water deposits, of which there were thousands on the prairies.  The melody, similar to Happy's "O.S.T. Girl", was an adaptation of the familiar folk-tune called "Polly Wolly Doodle".  It was  sung by Dan Emmett's Virginia Minstrels, which premiered in 1843.  Later, it was recorded by many musicians later including Harry C. Browne in 1917, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers in 1926 and the Carter Family in 1939.3  

Happy rounded out his group with Oran "Doc Guidry on fiddle, Ray Guidry on banjo, Roy Romero on steel guitar, Nathan Guidry on bass, and Robert Thibodeaux on piano. According to Ryan Brasseaux:

Oran "Doc " Guidry's smooth fiddling and Robert Thibodeaux's swinging stride piano solos carried the band through several sophisticated arrangements such as "Les Escrives Dan Platin".1  

My little girl is so beautiful,

Come along my darling,

But I know it's not just her,

Come along my darling,

Come along, come along,

Come along my darling,

So come along, yeah, when you want,

Well, come along my darling.

Crawfish in the prairie pond,

Come along my darling,

Going catch tomorrow morning,

Come along my darling,

Come along, come along,

Come along my darling,

So come along, yeah, when you want,

Well, come along my darling.

Taste of gumbo and the sauce,

Come along my darling,

If there's no more, it's not my fault,

Come along my darling,

Come along, come along,

Come along my darling,

So come along, yeah, when you want,

Well, come along my darling.

1. Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music By Ryan Andre Brasseaux
2. Cajun Sketches From The Prairies Of Southwest Louisiana by Lauren Post
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Wolly_Doodle
4. NOTE: B-2091 is a re-release

Release Info:
BS-022040-1 Aux Long De Bois | B-2034-A
BS-022032-1 Les Escrives Dan Platin | Bluebird B-2034-B

BS-022038-1 Jus Pasque | Bluebird B-2091-A
BS-022032-1 Les Escrives Dan Platin | Bluebird B-2091-B


Find:

Gran Prairie: Cajun Music Anthology, Vol. 3: The Historic Victor Bluebird Sessions (Country Music, 1994)