| Strophe | Rhyme | Line | Text |
| A | a | 1 | Pagayez chers camarades, pagayez |
| a | 2 | Encore loin pour faire la fin de la journée | |
| b | 3 | J’suis voyageur des eaux et coureur des bois | |
| b | 4 | Depuis l’nord Manitoba aux Illinois | |
| A’ | c* | 5 | J’connais toutes les rivières, tous les ruisseaux* |
| c* | 6 | Depuis l’île d’Orléans, jusqu’à la terre haute* | |
| B | 7 | Courir, courir, courir, courir, courir dans l’bois | |
| 8 | Aussi longtemps, aussi longtemps, aussi longtemps | ||
| A | d | 9 | Dans la ville de Montréal, y a une belle brune |
| d | 10 | À laquelle je donnerais toute ma fortune | |
| e | 11 | Elle a les yeux couleur du fond d’un lac glacé | |
| e | 12 | C’est en bas ses couvertures, j’veux me réchauffer | |
| A | f* | 13 | Si j’avais un dernier souhait, pour toute ma vie* |
| f* | 14 | Je d’manderais à la pleine lune nous réunir* | |
| g | 15 | Avec sa lumière, faire une corde pour attacher | |
| g | 16 | Ce grand bois avec le coin de son foyer | |
| B | 7 | Courir, courir, courir, courir, courir dans l’bois | |
| 8 | Aussi longtemps, aussi longtemps, aussi longtemps | ||
| A | i | 17 | Allez mes braves, allons se mettre sur le chemin |
| i | 18 | Faudra pas qu’l’hiver vienne nous prendre avant la St-Quantin | |
| j | 19 | Si la tempête nous attrape pas, je ferai un vœu | |
| j | 20 | De passer le mois de janvier auprès de son feu | |
| A’ | k | 21 | Allez mes braves, allez amis, allons, allez |
| k | 2 | Encore loin pour faire la fin de la journée |
Artist: Zachary Richard (b. 1950)
Rhyme scheme: rimes plates
*These rhymes are based on the singer’s pronunciation of the words. “Ruisseaux” rhymes with the pronounced “hau” and “vie” rhymes with the pronounced “réuni”.
Rhyme type: pauvres
Context: This is not a folk song, but speaks of themes related to the lives of voyageurs and coureurs du bois.
Narrative: The song is about a group of voyageurs who are paddling along a body of water. One of them sings about a woman he misses who lives in Montreal. He wishes they could be reunited. The voyageurs continue their journey, attempting to beat a winter storm before they can stop paddling for the day.
Musical/Stylistic Elements: Many elements in this contemporary song evoke ties to the voyageurs and their folk music.
In the second couplet (Dans la ville de Montreal), a chorus of men begin to interject with the main singer, singing “Hé,hé,hé”. This sound in particular is very ingrained as belonging to voyageur culture (the slogan for Winnipeg’s Festival du voyageur, for example, is “Hé, ho!”).
Another element that enriches the narrative of the story is in the opening seconds. A woman sings/speaks, and, while I am not 100% sure, I believe these are Indigenous words. The union the voyageur sings of, would then be between a European man and an Indigenous woman, something that was common and led to the birth of the Metis identity.
The instrumentation very clearly belongs to the rock genre. I hear guitars, bass, and drums along with the aforementioned backup singers.
Suggested sources:
- Studio recording of “Pagayez” from the album Coeur fidèle (2000): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2IhhwemrWk
- Live recording of “Pagayez” (2001): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Y0mPhEpHQ
Related Contents:
- Radio-Canada, ed. “D’où Vient Le ‘Hé Ho!’?” Ici Manitoba, February 16, 2019. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1153321/festival-voyageur-louis-boys.
Related links:
Translation
Paddle dear friends, paddle
Still further to go before we can end our day
I’m a voyageur of the waters and a coureur des bois
From the north of Manitoba to Illinois
I know all the rivers, all the streams
From L’Île d’Orléans, to the highlands
Run, run, run, run, run in the woods
For as long, for as long, for as long
In the city of Montreal, there’s a beautiful brunette
To whom I would give all my fortune
She has eyes the colour of the bottom of a frozen lake
Her blankets are downstairs, I want to warm up
If I had one last wish, for all my life
I’d ask the full moon to reunite us
With its light, I’d make a rope to join
These large woods with the corner of her house
Run, run, run, run, run in the woods
For as long, for as long, for as long
Go my brave ones, let’s get back on the trail
We don’t want winter to reach us before St-Quantin
If the storm doesn’t catch us, I’ll make a wish
To spend the month of January by her fire
Go my brave ones, go my friends, let’s go, go
Still further to go before we can end our day