"Petite Negress" - Jimmy Choates

Fiddler Jimmie (Jimmy) Choate was born in Bancker, Louisiana, not far from Abbeville.  He grew up playing music at an early age, similar to many of his siblings.  Quick to latch on to the success of famed Texas fiddler Harry Choates, Jimmie and his brother Pete decided to make a music career.  Record producer J.D. Miller of Fais Do Do records saw the opportunity as well, and in 1951, he had Jimmie's band record two songs. 

Moi j'aime cousin et moi j'aime cousine mais j'aime mieux ma 'tite negress,

Samedi, ce soir, moi j'etais au bal, je m'ai saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,

Dimanche matin, c'est tout manière malade,

Passez-moi le verre à limonade.

L'hiver arrive, l'hiver arrive, mon p'tit nég a pas de couverte,

Demain ce soir, il t'etais au bal, il saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,

Lundi matin, il était tout manière malade, 

Passez-lui le verre à limonade.

L'hiver arrive, l'hiver arrive, mon p'tit nég a pas de couverte,

Demain ce soir, il t'etais au bal, il saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,

Lundi matin, il était tout manière malade, 

Passez-lui le verre à limonade.

Moi je bois du vin et moi je mange des dattes, et tout ça, ça me coute pas rien,

Demain ce soir, moi j'etais au bal, je m'ai saoulé comme un 'tit cochon,

Lundi matin, c'est tout manière malade, 

Passez-moi le verre de Hadacol.

Blackie Dartez

Apr 19, 1951

Jimmie's Melody Boys included Ronald Ray "Pee Wee" Lyons on steel guitar and Charles ‘Pete’ Choate on bass guitar, however, Miller had the Melody Boys back up his star studio vocalist and guitarist Blackie Dartez.  Leodis "Blackie" Dartez was a guitarist from Cut Off, Louisiana and made his way to Crowley during the 1940s.  He played alongside Joe Falcon and his Silver String Band and later with Leroy Broussard and his French Serenaders.  There, he taught the accordion player his version of of a 1929 Columbus Fruge recording "Point Clear Blues" and entitled it "Petite Negress" (#1009).   

I appreciate my cousin, appreciate my cousin, but I prefer my woman,

Saturday night, I went to the dance, I got drunk like a big pig,

Sunday morning, I wasn't feeling well,

Pass me a glass of lemonade.

Winter comes, winter comes, my good friend was homeless,

The next night, he was at the dance, he was drunk like a pig,

Monday morning, he was very sick,

Pass him a drink of limonade.

Winter comes, winter comes, my good friend was homeless,

The next night, he was at the dance, he was drunk like a pig,

Monday morning, he was very sick,

Pass him a drink of limonade.

I drank wine and ate dates, and all that, it didn't cost me anything,

Saturday night, I went to the dance, I got drunk like a big pig,

Sunday morning, I wasn't feeling well,

Pass me a glass of Hadacol.

Teche News
Feb 10, 1950

Blackie changed up the lyrics, including the last line as an ode to the popular elixir Hadacol, invented by famed Lafayette salesman Dudley Leblanc.  It was a popular drink in 1949 that was sold by the thousands across the country.  By the time Leroy made his way into the Goldband recording studio in 1956, he re-recorded the song as "Lemonade Song" and it remained that title ever since. 

Release Info:

Chere Meon | Fais-Do-Do F-1009-A

Petite Negress | Fais-Do-Do F-1009-B

Find:

Acadian All Star Special - The Pioneering Cajun Recordings Of J.D. Miller (Bear, 2011)