"The Swallows" - John Bertrand

John Bertrand was born near Opelousas, more in the mainstream heart of the Cajun landscape, and the same can be said of his music, with its highly rhythmic accordion accompaniment.  In terms of repertoire, though, the common factor is that several of his songs, many of which he appears to have learnt from his mother, would also seem to show Old World origins.1    

Oh, ouais, partout que j’aime, ces lis donc me conviennent pas,

La seule que mon cœur aime, elle est si loin de moi,

Et si j’aurais des ailes, comme tous ces hirondelles, 

Aupres de toi la belle, j’irais me reposer.

En te contant mes peines, et ensuite mes amities.

En te contant mes peines, et ensuite mes amities.

Apportez-moi une verre, que je boive à la santé,

Ina-t-une bouteille que j’aime, que je boive sans la nommer,

Il y’en à qui aime la blonde, et d’autre qui aime la brune,

Mais moi j’sus pas comme çà, j’aime bien mais tout les deux.

Comment tu veux je fais, pour aller bien tout les deux?

Comment tu veux je fais, pour aller bien tout les deux?

Crowley Daily Signal
Mar 15, 1929

In 1929, Bertrand and his guitarist Milton Pitre traveled to Chicago and recorded "The Swallows" (#12730).  But by the time the recordings had arrived on the shelves, Pitre had been shot and killed in a dispute over a woman.  According to Ray Templton,

The Swallows, for all its English title, is surely an old traditional French song.  Bertrand’s records all featured guitar accompaniment by one Milton Pitre.  His playing is rather odd – he seems to be repetitively plucking single or double strings rather than playing chords.  He doesn’t always hit the right harmony, but that may just have been recording session nerves, and most of the time it’s quite effective.1  

John H. Bertrand

Oh, yeah, everywhere I like (to be), I don't find comfort in the beds,

The only one that I love in my heart, she is so far from me,

And if I had wings like all these swallows,

Beside you, beautiful one, I would go and rest.

Tell you my sorrows, and then my friendships,

Tell you my sorrows, and then my friendships.

Bring me a drink, that I'll drink to health,

There's a bottle that I like, that I'll drink without saying her name,

There are some who love blondes, and others who love brunettes,

Well, me, I'm not like that, I love, well, both of them.

How do you want me to go with both of them?

How do you want me to go with both of them?

Known as "Oh, Si J'aurais des Ailes", it was recorded in 1934 by Alan Lomax by Sansey Bonnet of Crowley.   Later, in 1977, Loricia Guillory also recorded the song for Gerard Dole in Mamou. 

1. https://oldtimeparty.wordpress.com/2012/08/07/early-american-cajun-music/
2. Lyrics by Smith S and Stephane F

Release Info:

21077-5 The Swallows | Paramount 12730-A

21074-1 The Rabbit Stole The Pumpkin | Paramount 12730-B

Find:

John Bertrand / Blind Uncle Gaspard / Delma Lachney Early American Cajun Music (Yazoo, 1999)