Cajun folk songs

Subject: Cajun folk songs
From: bja
Date: 17 Jan 99 - 11:02 PM

I'm looking for words and tune to a couple of Cajun folk songs: "Belle", and "The Belle and the Captain". The second one, I think, is about a woman who kills herself to keep from marrying the captain?

Thanks, Bill

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: harpgirl
Date: 10 May 01 - 10:03 PM

...any takers?

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: harpgirl
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 09:27 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 08 Oct 01 - 08:16 PM

Both were collected by John and Alan Lomax in the 1930s and the recordings are available on the Rounder CDs Cajun & Creole Music 1934/1937 and Cajun and Creole Music 1934/1937 II

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 09 Oct 01 - 05:12 AM

The CDs are Various Artists, The Classic Louisiana Recordings: Cajun and Creole Music, 1934-1937 (Rounder CD 1842) and Various Artists, The Classic Louisiana Recordings: Cajun and Creole Music II, 1934-1937 (Rounder CD 1843).

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 09:19 AM

BLANCHE COMME LA NEIGE
(a.k.a. LA BELLE ET LE CAPITAINE)

1
Le plus jeune des trois,
L'a pris par sa main blanche--
"Montez, montez, la belle,
Dessur mon cheval gris;
On logit chez mon père,
Je vous amenerrai."

2
Quand-e la belle'-z-entend,
Elle s'est mite à pleurèze,--
"Soupez, soupez, la belle,
Prenez, oui, z-appétit,
Auprès du capitaine
Vo' passerez la nuit."

3
Quand-e-la bell'-z-etend
La belle est tombée morte,--
"Sonnez, sonnez, les cloches,
Tambours, violons, marchez,
M'amillionette est morte
J'en ai le c&156;ur dolent."

4
"Et où l'enterreront-ils?"
"Dedans l'jardin d' son père,
Sous les trois feulles de lys;
Nous prierons Dieu, chers frères,
Qu'elle aille en Paradis."

5
Au bout-e de trois jours
La bell' frappe à la porte,
"Ouvrez, ouvrez, la porte,
Cher père et bien-aimé,
J'ai fait la mort trois jours
Pour sauver mon honneur."

(Translation)
1 The youngest of all three took her white hand and said, "Fair damsel, mount my gray horse and I will take you to the house of my father where we will stay together."
2 When the damsel heard these words, she began to weep, and he said, "Eat, fair damsel, be of good cheer, for this night you will stay with a fine captain."
3 When the damsel heard these words, she fell to the ground like one dead, and he said, "Ring the bells, play drums and violins; my little sweetheart is dead and I have a doleful heart."
4 And they said, "Where shall she be buried?" "In the garden of her father beneath the three leaves of the lyly. We pray to God, dear brothers, that she may fly to Paradise."
5 When three days had passed, the damsel knocked on the door of her father's house and said, "Open the door, dear and beloved father, for three days ago I chose death to save my honor."

BELLE

1
Mais si j' une belle ici, Belle,
C'est par rapport à to, Belle,
Mais si j' une belle ici, Belle,
C'est par rapport à toi, Belle.

2
J'ai pris ce char ici, Belle
Pour m'en aller au Texas, Belle,
J'ai pris ce char ici, Belle
Pour m'en aller au Texas, Belle.

3
Y avait just' trois jour, Bel-
Le, que j'étais là-bas, Belle,
J'ai r'çu-z-une lettre de toi, Belle,
Que t'étais bien malade, Belle.

4
Que t'étais bien malade, Belle,
En danger de mourir, Belle,
J'ai pris ce char encore, Belle,
Pour m'en r'venir ici, Belle.

5
Quand j'arrivais à toi, Belle,
T'étais sans connaisance, Belle,
Je m'en ai r'tourné d'abord, Belle,
Je m'en ai r'tourné là-bas, Belle.

6
J'ai emporti-qué mon ch'val, Belle,
Pour te sauver la vie, Belle,
O si j'ai plus Henry, Belle,
C'est par t'avoir aimée, Belle.

7
S'abandonner c'est dur, Belle,
Mais s'oublier c'est long, Belle,
S'abandonner c'est dur, Belle,
Mais s'oublier c'est long, Belle.

(Translation)
1 If I've a babe in town, Babe,
It's just when you're around, Babe,
If I've a babe in town, Babe,
It's just when you're around, Babe.

2 I caught a long slow freight, Babe,
Bound out for Texas state, Babe,
I caught a long slow freight, Babe,
Bound out for Texas state, Babe.

3 Three days I hung around, Babe,
That lonesome Texas town, Babe,
You wrote you's sick in bed, Babe,
Rags wrapped all round your head, Babe.

4 Said you was sick and low, Babe,
Said you was dyin' slow, Babe,
I hopped that long slow freight, Babe,
Bound for Lou's'ana state, Babe.

5 When I got off that train, Babe,
You couldn't call my name, Babe,
And I turned right around, Babe,
Then I was Texas bound, Babe.

6 My bronc' I had to sell, Babe,
So I could get you well, Babe,
Because between the two, Babe,
I'd always pick on you, Babe.

7 It's not so hard to go, Babe,
But to forget is slow, Babe,
It's not so hard to go, Babe,
But to forget is slow, Babe.

SOURCE: John A. and Alan Lomax, Our Singing Country (1941; reprint Dover, 2000, pp. 182-183, 194-195)

~Masato

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 09:22 AM

The last line of verse 3 should be:

J'en ai le cœur dolent."

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: harpgirl
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 11:18 AM

...thanks masato, I'm following this...harpgirl

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 12:43 PM

I have La Belle by Kate and Anna McGarrigle... fairly similar, but I didn't get a whiff of Cajun!

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST,Doc Rock
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 12:21 PM

If you are interested in more discussion of songs of this type from Louisiana, you might check out Irene Whitfield's book. There are also field recordings (with liner notes) by Harry Oster.

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: masato sakurai
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 01:16 PM

Indeed, Irène Thérèse Whitfield, Louisina French Folk Songs (1939; reprint Dover, 1969) is a classic book (probably out of print), but I'd rather recommend Ann Allen Savoy's superb collection, Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People, vol. 1 (Bluebird Press, 1984). Very good introductions are Barry Jean Ancelet's booklet, Cajun Music: Its Origins and Development (Lafayette: Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Southern Louisiana, 1989), and John Broven, South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous (Pelican, 1983). For musicians, recordings, and other information, see Pat Nyham, Brian Rollins and David Babb, Let the Good Times Roll!: A Guide to Cajun & Zydeco Music (Upbeat Books, 1997).

~Masato

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST,Doc Rock
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 02:04 PM

Yes, those are all fine resources on 20th century Cajun accordion and violin music. However, I was trying to direct peoples attention to the type of ballads (discussed above) that have largely disappeared from contemporary Cajun and Creole music.

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST,Sotamura
Date: 06 Mar 08 - 01:16 AM

Yes these are two great songs. We are currently performing them in Band. :)

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Apr 08 - 11:33 PM

Could anyone tell me where I could get a recording of "Belle" and "La Belle et La Captaine" by Alan Lomax?

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 07:46 AM

belle doesn't mean babe it means beautiful woman
or usually just beautiful

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST,PeterC
Date: 21 Feb 09 - 06:00 PM

Could anyone tell me where I could get a recording of "Belle" and "La Belle et La Captaine" by Alan Lomax?

There is a link to the record label in an earlier post. You can buy direct off their web site.

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST,Guest: Pat Mallory
Date: 11 May 09 - 07:21 PM

I'm looking for the lyrics to "Et ou c'est que tu es parti" and "Joe Ferail est un petit negre". Can anyone help?

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 09 - 01:35 AM

J'ai emporti-qué mon ch'val, Belle,
Pour te sauver la vie, Belle,
O si j'ai plus Henry, Belle,
C'est par t'avoir aimée, Belle

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 10:38 PM

La Belle de la Capitone
our school bands playing it at our christmas concert

Subject: RE: Cajun folk songs
From: Monique
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 10:55 PM

Et où c'est qu' t'es parti and some others.