Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers

Subject: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: GUEST,Ed Greenberg
Date: 05 Jul 22 - 10:45 AM

I frequently hear the song The Jewel of Paris, sung by Nathan Rogers, the son of Stan Rogers, on my Pandora channel, and I finally took a look at the lyrics.

Does anybody know if this song has a basis in an actual historical event?

What then is the story behind this song? Who is the young boy who was taken to Paris and later returned to Canada?

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Jeri
Date: 05 Jul 22 - 11:53 AM

I'm sure I looked it up at one time, but can't remember what I found. (Will continue.)
I did find the lyrics on line, and there was a big mistake.
"So mon petit
You were born 'cross the sea
To the heron of Ville Sainte-Marie"
I'm pretty sure should be "to the Huron of Ville Sainte-Marie".

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Jul 22 - 03:57 PM

Fairly certain it’s the follow-up song to Nathan’s ‘Mary’s Child’.

‘Mary’s Child’ tells the story of the French who came to bring Christianity to North America, but who also brought smallpox, which decimated the First Nations peoples. In the song, Mary was one of those First Nations people who died during, or shortly after, childbirth. The child was taken back to France following the death of his mother.

Mary’s Child (Nathan Rogers)

I spent a very pleasant evening with Nathan a few years ago, and we talked about Mary’s Child (which is a song I sing/play) and The follow-up - pretty certain the song in the thread tittle is it.

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Jul 22 - 03:58 PM

Apols for the mis-spellings! Aaaarrgghh! ;-)

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 05 Jul 22 - 04:16 PM

Meant to say also that ‘Mary’s Child’ is fictional.

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 06 Jul 22 - 09:19 AM

No problem, the pleasure’s all mine…

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: GUEST,Ed Greenberg
Date: 06 Jul 22 - 12:05 PM

Many thanks for the context and the info.

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jul 22 - 12:26 AM

Do we have the lyrics to "Jewel of Paris"? Mary's Child?

Subject: RE: Origins: Jewel of Paris - Nathan Rogers
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 07 Jul 22 - 02:00 AM

‘Mary’s Child’ (Nathan Rogers)

We came to clear the land.
To save the child, convert the man
But all we could do was watch them die.
It seems that every soul we saved was destined for an early grave
And the brothers barely stopped to question why.

When we boarded a ship from France it seemed like we'd have a
chance to do God's work out in the cold and wild.
But every deathbed conversion was just another sad perversion.
I wonder what became of Mary's child

In the village of Ste Marie I saw her.
She was twenty-three.
I thought that we would help to ease her pain.
"My mother and father died. My husband's dead.
They're gone." She cried.
"My unborn child and I remain."

When we boarded a ship from France it seemed like we'd have a
chance to do God's work out in the cold and wild.
But every deathbed conversion was just another sad perversion.
I wonder what became of Mary's child

She gave her new son life but it was something she could not survive.
We buried her beneath a Christian name and the boy was taken back to
Chartres.
Forever he would live apart.
I know nothing of the man that he became.

When we boarded a ship from France it seemed like we'd have a
chance to do God's work out in the cold and wild.
But every deathbed conversion was just another sad perversion.
I wonder what became of Mary's child

Every deathbed conversion...

——————++++——————

I don’t have the lyrics for ‘The Jewel of Paris’, sorry.