"Quitter La Maison (Leaving Home Blues)" - Hackberry Ramblers

In 1933, when Luderin Darbone was 19, he joined Edwin Duhon to form a two-member band and named it the Hackberry Ramblers.  However, There was a change even before the band got its first job.  Duhon, accomplished on both the accordion and guitar, had planned to play the accordion to accompany Darbone’s fiddle. But the accordion was battered and wheezy. A new one would cost $20 — more than either young man had.1  By the time the Ramblers were hitting their stride and Eli Oberstein contacted them to record, the accordion was no longer the popular instrument in Cajun bands. 

Et là, heir au soir,

Mais, t'as été dans l'amour,

Elle m'avait dit elle voulait pas m'voir,

Mais ça, ça m'fait du mal.

J'ai quitté la maison,

Pour m'en aller dans le Texas,

J'ai quitté ma vieille mère,

Parce que mon cœur était cassé,

Eh, chère.

J'aimerais être avec toi,

Mais, je connais tu veux pas m'voir,

Je vas rester à Houston,

Parce que je connais tu me veux.

By 1935, according to Luderin, "no band had an accordion". Duhon put down his ailing instrument and picked up his guitar.  However, Darbone and Duhon did have a radio. They tuned to every station they could find that played country and western music. The Hackberry Ramblers started with a fiddle and guitar.1 

(top) Lennis Sonnier, Claude "Pete" Duhon,
(bottom) Luderin Darbonne, possibly Floyd Shreve

Luderin Darbone recalls the first recordings:

The first accordion record was released about in 28 or 29. At this period, when we moved to Crowley, it was about 1935. Then RCA Victor got this fellow, Leo Soileau, to come in and make some of these Acadian records and they went over pretty big. Then the next time they came down, or before they came down, I wrote to them and told them that we could play that type music too.  Then we started practicing up on these.2 

By 1937, the group consisted of Lennis Sonnier on vocals and guitar, Floyd Shreve on guitar, Claude "Pete" Duhon on bass and Luderin Darbonne on fiddle.  At the St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans, the ensemble recorded "Quitter La Maison" (#2021).  

And there, last night, 

Well, you were in love,

She told me she didn't want to see me,

Well that, that's terrible.

I left home,

To go away to Texas,

I went to my old mother's place,

Because my heart was broken,

Oh, dear.

I'd like to be with you,

But I know you don't want to see me,

I'm going to stay in Houston,

Because I know you want me to.

1. "Hackberry Ramblers Making music since 1933". DON KINGERY. American Press, Friday, September 24, 2004
2. http://arhoolie.org/hackberry-ramblers/
3. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
BS 14000-1 Quitter La Maison (Leaving Home Blues) | Bluebird B-2021-A
BS 14007-1 Pas Aller Vite (Step It Fast) | Bluebird B-2021-B

Find:
Louisiana Cajun Music Vol. 3: The String Bands Of The 1930s (Old Timey/Arhoolie, 1971)
Cajun Early Recordings (JSP, 2004)