"Just Because" - Pal Thibodeaux

Elie Daise "Pal" Thibodeaux grew up in the Port Arthur area. His childhood friends remember him speaking French and English very well. Even at a young age, Pal was known to be singing all the time.

After serving in the Navy, Pal was playing the piano with Bill Nettles from Natchitoches. Bill had been recording since 1934 in various groups. By 1950, he married Bill's daughter, Loyce. Together they played in Bill's group; The Dixie Blue Boys and would play on KMLB in Monroe.

Around 1950, Pal and Loyce moved to back to Pal's hometown in Port Arthur. Back home Pal had assembled a group and were playing locally on the radio. There Pal was playing piano with his group, but he could play any stringed instrument.

Juste parce que tu crois (que) t'es si jolie,

Juste parce que tu crois (que) t'es si belle,

Juste parce que tu crois (que) t'avais quelque chose,

Quelque chose qui n'va pas bien.

Tu as ri et tes dépense mon argent, 

Tu as ri et t'appelé mon vielle,

Moi, je te dis, c'est tout fini,

Parce que, juste parce que.

Eh, pas bon.

Oh, mais, villaines manières.

Il va venir un temps quand ton tout seul,

Il va venir un temps quand t'es chagrins,

...

Bill Nettles and the Dixie Blue Boys

In 1951, Pal cut his his first solo record for 4 Star Records. 4 Star Records was founded after World War Two and based in California. They were home to country acts such as the Maddox Brothers and Rose as well as Webb Pierce. The label had previously dabbled in recording Cajun music when they recorded Austin Pitre. More than likely the session was recorded at KMLB in Monroe. It was there Pal recorded "Just Because" (X-19) with his father in law, Bill, backing him on mandolin.

"Just Because" was originally recorded by Nelstone's Hawaiians in 1929. Over the years the song was recorded by The Rayne Bo Ramblers as "Jus Pasque" and Joe Falcon and Cleoma Breaux as "Jeuste Parcque". The song was made popular by the Shelton Brothers in the mid 1930's. With the popularity of radio, such stations as KWKH broadcasting out of Shreveport gave way to cultural mixing between Cajun music, Western swing and hillbilly.

Just because you think that you're so pretty,

Just because you think that you're so beautiful,

Just because you think that you have something,

Something that isn't doing well.

You laughed and you spent my money,

You laughed and you called me old,

I tell you, it's all over,

Because, just because.

Eh, no good.

Oh, well, naughty ways.

There's going to come a time when you're all alone,

There's going to come a time when you are sad,

...

Pal had to pause his recording career as he was shipped to Korea to serve again. But by 1954 he was recording again, this time for the Imperial label. He would finish out the 1950's recording for Louisiana labels such as Sky Line and Ann. A truly gifted artist, he died fairly young.

1. Contributed by Jeremy R
2. http://www.bopping.org/cajun-hillbilly-bop-in-french-pal-thibodeaux/
3. https://earlycajunmusic.blogspot.com/2016/09/its-all-over-pal-thibodeaux.html
4. "Cajun Breakdown: The Emergence of an American-Made Music" by Ryan Andre Brasseaux
5. Lyrics by Herman M and Stephane F

Release Info:

4081 Just Because | 4 Star X19

4082 It's All Over Now | 4 Star X19

Find:
4 STAR ROUNDUP Vol. 2. (BACM, )

"Jolie Jou Rose" - Austin Pitre

"My Pretty, Rosy Cheeks".  Cajun musician Austin Pitre was surrounded by house parties and the emerging dancehall scene growing up.  All of the area's musicians had a profound influence on Austin's sound.  Austin's fiddle-playing father gave him an accordion in hopes that his six-year-old son would learn to accompany him at the local house dances.  In his spare time he made himself a fiddle from a cigar box and at the age of ten, he won a real child size fiddle by selling flower and vegetable seeds from a catalog.1   

Malheureuse, chère joue rose, 

Fais pas ça, malheureuse, tu me fais du mal.

Chère joue rose, ça t'as fait (a)vec moi, malheureuse, 

Tu m'as pris de la maison, comme un pauvre orphelin,

...

Malheureuse, ça fait d'la peine de pour toi.

Parce que toi, ouais, changé, malheureuse, un grand vaurien.

...

Austin Pitre

During WWII, when the accordion popularity slacked off, he formed a string band to please the out-of-state soldiers who floodied the area's bars and dancehalls on the "leave" nights from Fort Polk.  By 1948, it is believed that Crowley record producer, J.D. Miller setup Austin with the a recording session.  That taped session may have been sent to Bill McCall in Los Angelas producing the record containing "Jolie Jou Rose" (#1341).    According to his wife Dorothy, his fiddle mentor, besides his father, was the brilliant Leo Soiileau of Ville Platte.  Austin kept a box of well-used 78RPM records of Amede Ardoin, Douglas Bellard, and Leo Soileau.1  Given his love for Leo's songs, it's no surprise that "Jolie Jou Rose" (referred to as "Chere Joues Rose") was just an adaptation of Leo's "Quand Je Suis Bleu".

Miserable woman, dear rosy cheeks,

Don't do that, miserable woman, you're hurting me.

Dear rosy cheeks, what you've done to me, miserable woman,

You took me away from home like a poor orphan,

...

Miserable woman, it's painful for you,

Because you, yeah, changed, miserable woman, into a big scoundrel. 

...

By the early 1950s,  Austin was forming a new band and asked a young insurance salesman and his brothers to come play with him.  That young man was Dewey Balfa.  According to Dorothy, Austin showed Dewey his style and Dewey learned "Chere Joues Rose" from Austin.1  It wouldn't be long before Dewey changed the lyrical theme based on Dennis McGee's "Les Blues Du Texas" and re-titled the melody as "La Valse Du Bambocheur".  in 1971, Austin re-recorded the song as "Cheres Joues Rose" with Alan Ardoin, Preston Manuel and James Pitre at Pitre's Garage. 

1. Austin Pitre CD liner notes.  https://folkways-media.si.edu/liner_notes/arhoolie/ARH00452.pdf
2. Lyrics by Stephane F

Release Info:
3196 Jolie Jou Rose | 4-Star 1341
3197 Gueydan Two Step | 4-Star 1341

"It's All Over" - Pal Thibodeaux

"C'est Tout Fini!"  Elie Daise "Pal" Thibodeaux, Jr. was a Louisiana born musician that had teamed up with Bill Nettles and his Dixie Blue Boys recording for Mercury records.  Together they recorded tunes and broadcasted on KMLB in Monroe, Louisiana.3

By 1949, Pal had served in the navy, married Bill Nettle's daughter, Loyce, and began working with Bill as his guitarist and she as his vocalist.2  Bill's group consisted of Robert Shivers on fiddle, Pal on piano or guitar, Danny Dedmon on guitar, Levele Johnes on guitar, and Loyce on bass.  But by 1950, Pal and Loyce left "showbiz" and settled in Port Arthur, Texas.6

Longtemps Louisiane, t'es m'a quitter,

Tu m’as lessé pour toi aller,

Pour toi aller-z avec un autre,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

C'est tout fini, ma criminelle,

C'est tout fini, pour nous autres,

Longtemps Louisiane, t'es m’as lessé,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

Oh, mais, chere tit fille.

C'est tout fini, criminelle,

Oh ye yaille, mon coeur sur fait mal,

Jus pasque c'est m'a quitter pour toi,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

C'est tout fini, criminelle,

C'est tout fini, pour toi aller,

Longtemps Louisiane, t'es m’as lessé,

Criminelle, c'est tout fini, asteur.

Te m’as lessé pour ton aller,

Oh ye yaille, mon coeur sur fait mal,

Jus pasque c'est m'a quitter tout seul,

Criminelle, pour mon tout seul.

By 1951, he was working with T. Tex Tyler but left that year and headed back with Bill's group on KNOE.5   That same year, he signed with 4-Star records and recorded "It's All Over" (#4082).7  Before his recording career took off, he was shipped off to Korea to fight in the army. En route overseas, Pal formed a Western band aboard ship with Neal Merritt, who also cut for 4-Star and gave six shows on the high seas for which he revived an official commendation from his superior officers.1    

Long time ago in Louisiana, you have left me,

You've left to go away,

You've gone away with another,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

It's all over, it's terrible,

It's all over, for us,

Long time ago in Louisiana, you have left,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

Oh, well, dear little girl.

It's all over, it's terrible,

Oh ye yaille, my heartache, feeling bad,

Just because you've left me,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

It's all over, it's terrible,

It's all over, for you've gone away,

Long time ago in Louisiana, you have left me,

It's terrible, it's all over now.

You've left me to go away,

Oh ye yaille, my heartache, feeling bad,

Just because you've left me all alone,

It's terrible, for I'm all alone.

After the war, in 1953, he released "Port Arthur Boogie" for Sky Line records.8  By 1955, he had left 4 Star and switched to Imperial, changing his name to "Little Pal Hardy" (an ode to his mother Rena Hardy) while stationed in Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.4 

1. Billboard magazine. Sep 13, 1952
2. Billboard magazine. Aug 26, 1950
3. The Mercury Labels: The 1945-1956 era By Michel Ruppli
4. Billboard magazine. Feb 12, 1955
5. Billboard magazine. Nov 24, 1951
6. Billboard magazine.  Jul 22, 1950
7. Billboard magazine. Apr 21, 1951
8. Billboard magazine. Feb 21, 1953
9. Lyrics by WF and Jerry M