Author Archives: simpro

03/13/25

Pagayez

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:

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:

Les voyageurs

Zachary Richard

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

03/13/25

Marcel Bénéteau

Marcel Bénéteau fait revivre la musique traditionnelleMarcel Bénéteau is a retired associate professor in the Department of Folklore and Ethnology of French North America at the University of Sudbury, a bilingual post-secondary institution in the North of Ontario. He was born outside Windsor, Ontario, in the small community of River Canard (French: Rivière-aux-Canards). This area is home to one of North America’s oldest continuously inhabited French communities. In the 18th century, French-speaking settlers from France and Québec came to this area to build a strategic fur-trading post, Fort Detroit (see Les voyageurs). Later, in the 19th century, more Québecois joined the town, and, in the present day, the two Francophone communities remain somewhat culturally distinct. Bénéteau’s mother’s side of the family is descended from the so-called Fort Detroit French.

Bénéteau’s primary research focus is on the history and culture of French settlers in the Detroit region. His career began as a musician when he was approached by a Radio-Canada producer, Paulette Richer, who encouraged him to sing folk songs in French. At that time, the French folk song repertoire mainly comprised songs from Québec. Inspired by efforts in the Maritimes to revive Acadian folk songs, Bénéteau made it his mission to rediscover the folklore of the Detroit region, completing a Master’s in Folklore Studies at Laval University.

He has collected over 2,000 folk songs from the Detroit region, a mission which he considers a race against time as the people who know these songs tend to be older. He has recorded numerous albums of these songs (see example below). He has often claimed that folk songs enable us to discover a way of speaking and telling stories in a French that has been linguistically preserved.

Suggested listening:
“La vie des matelots.” YouTube. Accessed February 28th, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eaeLiUClVk.

Suggested Sources:
“Marcel Bénéteau: Notice Biographique.” Presses de l’Université de Laval. Accessed February 28th, 2025. https://www.pulaval.com/autrices-et-auteurs/marcel-beneteau#:~:text=Marcel%20B%C3%A9n%C3%A9teau%20est%20professeur%20agr%C3%A9g%C3%A9,de%20la%20r%C3%A9gion%20du%20D%C3%A9troit.
“50 ans de CBEF: les souvenirs de Marcel Bénéteau, l’animateur.” Radio-Canada Ohdio. Accessed February 28th, 2025. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/matins-sans-frontieres/segments/entrevue/172488/marcel-beneteau-ancien-animateur-agro-mag-cbef-insecurite-linguistique.
Longobardi, Constance. “Marcel Bénéteau fait revivre la musique traditionnelle.” l-express.ca. Accessed February 28th, 2025. https://l-express.ca/marcel-beneteau-fait-revivre-la-musique-traditionnelle/.
“Folk Music.” Voyageur Heritage: Community Journal & Resource Guide. Accessed February 28th, 2025. https://voyageurheritage.wordpress.com/music/.

Related links:
Detroit
Les voyageurs

02/5/25

Gossip

Written by: Lisa Leblanc

Gossip
Toutes les matins
Quand les portes rouvrent
Gossip
Mettre mes belles hardes
Prendre une tite drive
Gossip
Rain or shine
Top shape ou malade
Gossip

Ah ah, ça pas d’allure
Ah ah, ça pas d’allure
Ah ah, ça pas d’allure
Tu y’as-tu vu l’allure? Tu y’as-tu vu l’allure?
Well, Sainte-Bénite, on aura toute vu
Ah, ah, ah, ben ça se peut tu?
As-tu vu ci, as-tu vu ça?
Savais-tu pour ci?
Savais-tu pour ça?

Gossip
As-tu su pour chouse?
Y’est rendu au foyer
Gossip
A l’est pas méchante
A l’est juste tannante
Gossip
Y’a pogné son orignal
Y’était fou comme d’la marde
Gossip
Gossip

Ah ah, ça pas d’allure
Ah ah, ça pas d’allure
Ah ah, ça pas d’allure
Tu y’as-tu vu l’allure? Tu y’as-tu vu l’allure?
Well, Sainte-Bénite, on aura toute vu
Ah, ah, ah, ben ça se peut tu?
As-tu vu ci, as-tu vu ça?
Savais-tu pour ci?
Savais-tu pour ça?

Gossip

Le connais-tu?
C’est le cousin à la mère
À la tante à ton père
C’est la mère adoptive
Au boyfriend à la cousine de ton oncle
La connais-tu ?
C’est Lucille à Prosper
À Edmond à Thérèse
Le connais-tu?
C’est Euclide à Fernand
À Yvette à Bruno

(Gossip)
À qui la fille?
J’l’ai jamais vu icitte
(Gossip)
Par chance qui est fin
Parce que y’est laid comme un pou
(Gossip)
Y sont laissés
A pouvait pu le stander
(Gossip)
Le bon djeu le veut pas
Pi le djab non plus
Le bon djeu la veut pas
Pi le djab non plus

Gossip
J’vas au Tim Hortons pour savoir
Quoi-ce qu’est la gossip
Un café doub doub avec 3 timbits
Gossip
Gossip
J’veux savoir la gossip

Source: https://lyrics.lyricfind.com/lyrics/lisa-leblanc-gossip

01/16/25

Partons, la mer est belle

NOTE: The oldest version in a published collection dates from 1891 and was titled “L’étoile du marin.” There are over 70 versions of the song collected in Canadian sources and there are many variants.

As the song contains many textual variants, the lyrics align with the version found here (except the last couplet, which has been ommitted):

Strophe Rime Vers Texte
A a 1 Amis, partons sans bruit;
b 2 La pêche sera bonne,
b 3 La lune qui rayonne
a 4 Éclairera la nuit.
A’ c 5 Il faut qu’avant l’aurore
d 6 Nous soyons de retour,
c 7 Pour sommeiller encore
d 8 Avant qu’il soit grand jour.
B e 9  Partons, la mer est belle;
f 10 Embarquons-nous, pêcheurs,
e 11 Guidons notre nacelle,
f 12 Ramons avec ardeur.
g 13 Aux mâts hissons les voiles,
h 14  Le ciel est pur et beau;
g 15 Je vois briller l’étoile
h 16 Qui guide les matelots.
A i 17 Ainsi chantait mon père
j 18 Quand il quitta le port,
i 19 Il ne s’attendait guère
j 20 À y trouver la mort!
A’ k 21 Par le vent, par l’orage,
l 22 Il fut surpris soudain
k 23 Dans un cruel naufrage,
l 24 Il subit le destin.
B e 9 Partons, la mer est belle;
f 10 Embarquons-nous, pêcheurs,
e 11 Guidons notre nacelle,
f 12 Ramons avec ardeur.
g 13 Aux mâts hissons les voiles,
h 14 Le ciel est pur et beau;
g 15 Je vois briller l’étoile
h 16 Qui guide les matelots.
A i 25 Je n’ai plus qu’une mère
l 26 Qui ne possède rien.
i 27 Elle est dans la misère
l 28 Et n’a que mon soutien.
m 29 Ramons, ramons bien vite.
A’ n 30 Oh, je la vois là-bas;
m 31 Je vais courir de suite
n 32 Me jeter dans ses bras.
B e 9 Partons, la mer est belle;
f 10 Embarquons-nous, pêcheurs,
e 11 Guidons notre nacelle,
f 12 Ramons avec ardeur.
g 13 Aux mâts hissons les voiles,
h 14 Le ciel est pur et beau;
g 15 Je vois briller l’étoile
h 16 Qui guide les matelots.

Song Type: A seafaring song, perhaps also a work song.

Context: As the main recording attests, a song sung during gatherings, maybe during holidays.

Narrative: The song opens as the narrators’ father suggests that a group of fishermen go out to fish at night. He would like to be back before dawn to get a good night’s rest before the next day begins. As they launch, they notice that the sky is clear and the waters are calm. They use a star (probably the North Star), to guide their navigation.

In the second couplet, the narrator reveals that the previous text was spoken/sung by his father. The narrator continues the story, explaining that a storm arose without warning and that the men died in a shipwreck.

The third couplet is a bit ambiguous. Did the narrator accompany their father on the trip and survived? The story continues, now in the perspective of the narrator thinking of his mother who has nothing and cannot live without his help. He wants to return to shore as fast as possible to meet his mother in a loving embrace.

This is a somber song that speaks about the dangers of navigating the sea, but also highlights the importance of loving and cherishing the people that mean the most in our lives.

Suggested sources:

Related links:

Acadie (Acadia)

Partons, la mer est belle (analysis)

Acadian Music