03/11/26

Robert Charlebois

Robert Charlebois (1944-) is a singer-songwriter, actor, pianist, and guitarist from Montreal, Quebec. Balancing music and theatre from an early age, Charlebois was one of the most influential chansonniers to have performed both domestically and internationally, winning awards in countries such as Poland, Belgium, and France. He has continued to perform well into the 21st century, celebrating his 50th career anniversary in 2013 and presenting a large-scale rock concert in 2019.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Robert Charlebois simultaneously partook in early piano lessons for six years and acting at Montreal’s National Theatre School from 1962 to 1965. During this time period, the young Charlebois made his stage debut in September 1962, opening for Félix Leclerc at the Butte-à-Matthieu. Three years later, he was recognized by CBC as “the chansonnier discovery of the year” for his song La boulé that was composed when he was 16, winning the Grand Prix of the Festival du Disque. He continued to balance his musical and theatrical pursuits, performing for famous musical-comedy shows such as L’Osstidcho (1968-1969), one of the most famous shows of the 60s known for its creativity and innovation.

The late 1960s contained Charlebois’ most significant music years since they paved the way for his everlasting career. In 1967, he released his third album that contained famous hits (e.g. “C’est pour ça”, “Marie-Noel”, “Demain l’hiver”) and travelled to California for a three month trip where he was influence by America’s counter-rock culture. It was here where his music and its lyrics adopted a “urban poetic” style that came from popular language. The year 1969, however, commenced Charlebois’ touring phase, performing and winning awards in countries such as Belgium (Grand Prix at the Festival de la chanson française), France (Prix de la Ville de Paris, Gold Medal of the Olympiades de la chanson), and Poland. He also toured across Canada via a rail trip accompanied by other American rock scene figures. Despite his musical successes, he still continued his theatrical pursuits, acting in films such as Sombre Vacances (1975) and Un génie, deux associés, une cloche (1976).

Charlebois’ successes continued into the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s. Surprisingly, his fame outside Quebec increased and rivaled the likes of Félix Leclerc, leading Charlebois to become one of, if not the most successful Quebecois figures that paved the way for other artists. He continued to tour in France and Quebec well into the late 80s, performing songs such as the 1983 Félix Award winning “J’t’aime comme un fou”. In the 1990s, he partook in business pursuits, opening a microbrewery whilst continuing his musical activities. Transforming his style to combine a plethora of genres (rock, metal, ballad, latin), he continued to release albums that captivated the new generation. His album Doux sauvage (2001) was one such album that harnessed these aspects. The 21st century nonetheless was an extension of his triumphs in the prior decades, comprising years in which Charlebois was inducted into the National Order of Quebec (2008), Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame (2008), and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2010). His last album, Tout est bein (2010), contained a collection of original songs that harnessed many musical influences (folk, orchestral music, pop) and dived into themes of love, life, and the passage of time.

Robert Charlebois’ influence on the chansonnier tradition and general Quebec culture cannot be understated. Within his long career, he had managed to find success throughout the Western Hemisphere, disseminating his songs and influence onto other Francophone artists. Being one of the first chansonnier to bring elements of American and British pop into the Quebecois tradition, Charlebois pushed a musical agenda that sought to reconcile styles ranging from rock, jazz, to orchestral music. His application of the electric guitar in the chansonnier tradition and theatre in his tours further cemented his uniqueness as an artist. As stated by Benoît L’Herbier in the book La Chanson québécoise (1974): “He has become the epicentre — the nerve centre around which all the others gravitate.”

Sources

Rioux, Christian , and Carolyn Kotva. “Robert Charlebois.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 24, 2012; Last Edited December 16, 2013.
Robert Charlebois Website. “Robert Charlebois.” Accessed March 10, 2026. https://www.robertcharlebois.com.

Suggested Listenings

“Ordinaire” https://youtu.be/zxQBL45O86U
“C’est pour la” https://youtu.be/IO9UZRfqPxY
“Doux sauvage” https://youtu.be/NHg2cdQD-BA

03/5/26

Où sont-elles? (1977)

Ouindi ouindi ouindi ouindi
Ouin ouin, Les tiennes où sont-elles?
Un soir pressée d'aller veiller
An evening eager to go out
En cherchant ses dentelles
Looking for her laces
Pas razée pas maquillée
Not shaved wearing no makeup
M'as-tu sortir pareille
Am I going to go out anyway
Chu tannée d'faire la poupée
I am tired to be like a doll
J'arrache les ficelles
I tear the strings
Le premier gars qu'a rencontré
The first guy she meets
T'la r'garde entre les deux ailes[1]
He looks at her between her two wings
Ya rien trouvé pour l'exciter
He found nothing to excite him
C'pas mon genre de femelle[2]
It's not my type of female
Un peu pogné lui a soufflé
Awkward, he mumbles
T'as les boules[3] basses ma belle
Your balls are low, girl
Si mes boules sont basses
If my beasts are low
Mon pauvres gars
Poor guy
Mais les tiennes où sont-elles?
Where are yours?

NOTES:
[1] Figurative reference to shoulders or arms
[2] Pejorative way to refer to a woman
[3] Slang word for women's breasts

Words & Music: Paul Piché

Lyrics Source: Genius.com

English Translation: Ève Poudrier

03/4/26

La bittt à tibi (1975)

Moi je viens de l'Abitibi
I come from Abitibi
Moi je viens de la Bittt à Tibi
I come from Bittt at Tibi
Moi je viens d'un pays
I come from a country
Qui est un arbre fort
That is a strong tree
Moi je viens d'un pays
I come from a country
Qui pousse dans le Nord
That grows in the North
Tam didelam tadlédidelidelam
Tam didelem tadlédidelidelam

Dans ce pays qui était comme un oeuf
In this country that was like an egg
Le treize février mille neuf cent trente-neuf
February 13th, 1939
Je suis né à Val d'Or en Abitibi
I was born in Val d'Or in Abitibi
Dans ce pays qui est encore touttt neuf
In this country that is still brand new

J'avions connu Harnest Turcotte
I'd known Harnest Turcotte
Qui vivait entre de beaux bois ronds
Who lived between beautiful round woods
Qui parlait aux ârbres et aux taons
Who talked to trees and horseflies
Qui chaque matin chaussait ses bottes
Who put on his boots every morning
Pour aller comme Ti-Jean Hébert
To go like Ti-Jean Hébert 
Fendre la forêt avec ses nerfs
To chop the forest with his nerves
Qui n'avait pas de chain saw
Who didn't have a chain saw
Qui avait hache et boxa
Who had an axe and boxers
Pis des bras durs comme la roche
Arms hard like a rock
Pis des cuisses comme des troncs d'arbre
Legs like tree trunks
Pis du front tout le tour de la tête
To be naive
Pis qui n'était pas si bête
Who wasn't so stupid
En mille neuf cent dix en Abitibi dans mon pays
In 1910 in Abitibi in my country
Colonisé
Colonised
Tam didelam tadlédidelidelam
Tam didelem tadlédidelidelam

Moi je viens de l'Abitibi
I come from Abitibi
Moi je viens de la Bitt à Tibi
I come from Bitt at Tibi
Moi je viens d'un pays
I come from a country
Qui a un ventre en or
That has a belly of gold
Moi je viens d'un pays
I come from a country
Où c'que le poisson mord
Where the fish bites

Quand j'étions petit
When I was little
J'allions jouer aux bois
I was playing in the woods
Avec les épinettes et les bouleaux
With spruce and birch trees
J'aimions gazouiller avec les oiseaux
I used to love chirping with the birds
Quand j'étions petit
When I was little
Je suivions le ruisseau
I was following the stream
Je jouais de l'Harricana
I was playing the Harricana
Sur la rivière Harmonica
On the Harmonica river
Je regardions passer les gros chars
I was watching the big chariots go by
Sur ma petite cenne qui venait en or
On my little penny that came in gold
Dans un banc de neige je creusais maison
In a snowbank I was digging a house
Et dans la glace j'écrivais ton nom
And in the ice I was writing your name

Et l'hiver à l'aréna
And winter at the arena
On patinait touttt en tas
We were all skating together
L'été près du lac Blouin
Summer near Blouin Lake
On faisions semblant de rien
We were pretending nothing
On ramassait des bleuets
We were picking blueberries
Qu'on vendait pour presque rien
That we were selling for almost nothing

En mille neuf cent quelques
In 1900 and something
En Abitibi dans mon pays
In Abitibi in my country
Colonisé
Colonised
Tam didelam tadlédidelidelam
Tam didelam tadlédidelidelam

Moi je viens de l'Abitibi
I come from Abitibi
Moi je viens de la Bittt à Tibi
I come from Bittt at Tibi
Moi je viens d'un pays qui a un ventre en or
I come from a country that has a belly of gold
Moi je viens d'un pays où c'qui neige encore
I come from a country where it still snows 

Dans mon pays qu'on dit hors de la carte
In my country which they say is outside the map 
Mon oncle Edmond travaillait sous la terre
My uncle Edmond was working underground
Mais il creusait dans l'or sa propre mort
But he was digging his own grave in gold
Mon oncle Edmond nous a mis sur la carte
My uncle Edmond put us on the map

Dans mon pays qui a grandi
In my country that grew
Il paraît qu'aux tous premiers temps
It was appearing that in the early days
On y gagnait beaucoup d'argent
We were making a lot of money
Y a de l'or en barre qui dort icitt
There are goldbars that lie here
Y a même des poignées de porte en or
There are even gold door handles
En cuivre en fer qui vont de l'autre bord
In copper in iron that goes to the other side
J'aimions jouer dans la fanfare
I used to love playing in the marching band
Pour épater toutes les pétards
To impress all the pretty girls
Quand j'allions au Château-Inn
When I was going to the Château-Inn
Boire et rire avec mes piastres
Drinking and laughing with my money
Je revenions comptant les astres
I was coming back counting the stars
Au petit matin près de la mine
At daybreak near the mine 

Tamdidelam tadlédidelidelam
Tamdidelam tadlédidelidelam
Tam didlididelidelam
Tam didlididelidelam
En mille neuf cent touttt
In 1900 and everything
En Abitibi dans mon pays
In Abitibi in my country
Colonisé à libérer
Colonised to be liberated
Tamdidelam tadlédidelédelam
Tamdidelam tadlédidelédelam

Lyrics from Musixmatch
Lyrics and Music by Raôul Duguay
Translation by Galland Chan with the help of Linguee and WordReference in finding precise translations of certain words.

Song Performances:

Live performance, Parc Jarry, Montréal (Québec), 1978: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8p728qg96k

03/4/26

Georges Dor (1931-2001)

Georges Dor (1931-2001) was a singer-songwriter, playwright, author, director, and journalist from Drummondville, Quebec. Originally working with Radio-Canada as an announcer and producer, Dor joined the chansonniers tradition for several years before leaving the public music scene in favor of more intimate, recorded music. He continued to write essays, novels, and poems regarding the role of the French language in Quebec society before passing away in 2001.

Born in Drummondville, Quebec, Georges Dor was the youngest of eleven children in his family. There he worked in the city’s factory from 1948 to 1952 in addition to supporting the construction of the Bersimis Dam in the St. Lawrence river in 1953. During this time period, Dor also resided in Montréal for a year to study at the École du Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. From then on, he commenced a career in news, working for several radio stations in different Quebec cities as an announcer and editor; his most prominent role then was the director of news broadcasts at CBC Montréal from 1957 to 1967.

Whilst working primarily for news, this period also included Dor’s ventures into music and literature. Initially publishing short stories, plays, and collections of poetry, Dor, who was provoked by Gaston Miron to venture into the realm of songwriting, kickstarted his chansonnier career in 1966 with the release of his self-titled LP. This year proved fruitful for the young singer-songwriter who then brought his music on tour to festivals and boîte à chansons in Quebec and France from 1966 to ~1972. Having won awards such as the Prix Félix-Leclerc, his prestige as a singer-songwriter was immense, leading Dor to compose for numerous short films and documentaries produced by the National Film Board. However, after opening an art gallery with his wife in Longueil, Dor retired from the public music scene and opted to record his music. From then on, Dor pursued a literature path in which he published numerous of his own novels, short stories, plays, and poems. Most important were his polemical essays of the 1990s that confronted the role of the French language in Québec and argued for the usage of more colloquial slang and terminology rather than clear and intellectual language (e.g. Anna braillé ène shot (1996), Ta mé tu là (1997), Chu ben comme chu (2001)).

Released in his 1966 self-titled LP, “La Manic” is considered one of Georges Dor’s most famous songs. Like many of his songs, the narrative of La Manic places emphasis on the daily lives of workers and women in Quebec’s industrial and forest industries. Known for its simplistic yet soulful lyrics of love, “La Manic” was designated the most popular song of the last 50 years in 1972 by CKAC Radio, cementing itself as one of the most popular chansons from the chansonniers tradition.

Sources:

“La Manic.” Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. https://www.cshf.ca/song/la-manic/.
Morin, Claude. “Georges Dor.” Musée des Grands Québécois Website. Musée des Grands Québécois. Accessed March 1, 2026. https://www.mdgq.ca/10-georges-dor
Rioux, Christian. “Georges Dor.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published July 26, 2007; Last Edited May 11, 2024.

Suggested Listenings

La Manic: https://youtu.be/m0Ih5zRU1_k?list=RDm0Ih5zRU1_k
Quebec Love, album: https://youtu.be/f6oil2t-CKQ?list=PLZHQH6pJBcF4SSt92pGXBFFuZlgtl_79h
Confidence, a collection of poems by Georges Dor: https://youtu.be/0G2y0wWAjK8.

03/16/25

Viens avec moi et tu verras

S’il est vrai que la vie sourit aux audacieux

Allons suis-moi et ne sois pas si orgueilleux

Refrain:

La vie t’attend, t’ouvre les bras

ne vois-tu pas là-bas, là-bas,

viens avec moi et tu verras

S’il est écrit que pour aimer et êtr’ heureux

On ne peut pas y arriver sans vivr’ à deux

Refrain

Suis mon conseil: Il ne faut plus y repenser

À ce chagrin que tu te dois vit’ d’oublier

Refrain

Parc’ qu’il ne faut jamais se contenter de peu

Car un peu ce n’est pas assez crois moi, mon vieux

Refrain

Il faut marcher vers l’avenir, vers le bonheur

Sans t’attarder à regarder souffrir ton coeur

Refrain

(moi et tu verras extended as final statement)

English translation:

Come with me and you’ll see

If it’s true that life smiles on the bold

Come follow me and don’t be so proud

Refrain:

Life is waiting for you, opening its arms,

don’t you see out there, out there,

come with me and you’ll see

If it’s written that to love and be happy

You can’t do it without living together

Refrain

Take my advice: Don’t give it another thought

To this sorrow you must live to forget

Refrain

Because you must never be satisfied with little

Because a little isn’t enough, believe me old man

Refrain

You have to walk towards the future, towards happiness

Without lingering to watch your heart suffer

Refrain

Text analysis:

S’il est vrai que la vie sourit aux audacieux (12)

Allons suis moi et ne sois pas si orgueilleux (12)

Refrain:

La vie t’attend, t’ouvre les bras (8)

ne vois tu pas là bas, là bas, (8)

viens avec moi et tu verras (8)

S’il est écrit que pour aimer et êtr’ heureux

On ne peut pas y arriver sans vivr’ à deux

Suis mon conseil: Il ne faut plus y repenser

À ce chagrin que tu te dois vit’ d’oublier

Parc’ qu’il ne faut jamais se contenter de peu

Car un peu ce n’est pas assez crois moi, mon vieux

Il faut marcher vers l’avenir, vers le bonheur

Sans t’attarder à regarder souffrir ton coeur

Notes:

-March that became popular with Quebecois youth.

-The narrator is a leader, possibly romantic/seductive?

Setting:

-Male vocal quartet with layered texture

-Previous layers remain constant

-Modulation F-Fsharp-G-Ab-A Major. (stepwise chromatically)

-impressive chromaticism in the harmony

-12/8

Opens with a walking bass pizz opening

Verse and Refrain 1

Monorhythmic and monophonic singing

Offbeat chords in acoustic guitar

Verse and Refrain 2

Solo voice leads supported by with harmonic “euuu”s, counter-rhythm

Verse and Refrain 3

Monorhythmic in 4 part harmony

Accordian?

Verse and Refrain 4

Solo voice leads with marcato “la la la” accompaniment

Horn

Verse and Refrain 5

Monorhythmic in 4 part harmony

Electric guitar

Suggested Sources:

Viens avec moi et tu verras

Germaine Dugas:

Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Deux Enfants Du Même Âge,” July 26, 2018. https://www.cshf.ca/song/deux-enfants-du-meme-age/.

Les Collégiens Troubadours:

Michel Fournier, Québec Info Musique.com et Louis Bédard (Foutchy), Oricom Internet Inc. “Québec Info Musique | Les Collégiens Troubadours.” Copyright 2012, Québec Info Musique, n.d. https://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/index2.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.qim.com%2Fartistes%2Fbiographie.asp%3Fartistid%3D519#federation=archive.wikiwix.com&tab=url.

02/13/25

Le ciel se marrie avec la mer (translation)

[Couplet 1]

La mer a mis sa robe verte

The sea has put on her green dress

Et le ciel bleu son œillet blanc

And the blue sky his white carnation

Elle a voulu être coquette

She wanted to be flirtatious

Pour dire au ciel en s’éveillant

To tell the sky when you awaken

[Refrain]

N’oublie pas mon cœur, ni la fleur, ni le jonc

Don’t forget my heart, neither the flower nor the bulrush

N’oublie pas surtout que demain nous nous marierons

Above all, don’t forget that tomorrow we will get married

[Couplet 2]

Les pieds dans les sables des dunes

Feet in the sand of the dunes

Je les ai vus qui s’embrassaient

I saw them kissing

À l’ombre des joncs des lagunes

In the shade of the bulrushes of the lagoon

Et puis la mer qui lui disait

And then the sea said to him

[Refrain]

N’oublie pas mon cœur, ni la fleur, ni le jonc

Don’t forget my heart, neither the flower nor the bulrush

N’oublie pas surtout que demain nous nous marierons

Above all, don’t forget that tomorrow we will get married

[Couplet 3]

Une fleur à la boutonnière

A flower in the buttonhole

Le lendemain se mariait

The next day they got married

Le ciel au bras de la mer fière

The sky in the arms of the proud sea

D’avoir du soleil en bouquet

To have a bouquet of sunshine

[Outro]

Il y avait leurs cœurs et les fleurs et le jonc

It had their hearts and the flowers and the bulrush

Chaque jour depuis mille fois, revit cette chanson

Every day since, a thousand times, reliving this song.

01/20/25

LibGuide for Francophone Songs in North America

Hello! I have just added a new section to the Music Research Guide dedicated to francophone songs in North America. A number of scores, recordings, articles, books, search terms, and other resources have been compiled here. These resources are not exhaustive, but should help support your research in this course.

You can access the guide here: https://guides.library.ubc.ca/c.php?g=724029&p=5370467 or navigate to it by accessing the Music Research Guide and selecting “Special topics: Francophone Song in North America”.

If you have questions or would like additional research support, please reach out to the Music Librarian at david.haskins@ubc.ca.

01/6/25

La danse à St-Dilon

Everyone is invited
Tout le monde est invité
People from elsewhere and people from here
Gens d'ailleurs et gens d'ici
From Beijing and Paris
De Pékin et de Paris
Highly rated people
Gens des plus biens cotés
And then dance too
Et puis dansez aussi

Saturday evening in Saint-Dilon, there was not much to do
Samedi soir à Saint-Dilon, y avait pas grand-chose à faire
We said "we're doing a dance, we're going to dance at Bibi's"
On a dit "on fait une danse, on va danser chez Bibi"
We found ourselves a violin, a living room, partners
On s'est trouvé un violon, un salon, des partenaires
And then the evening begins, it was around 7:30 a.m.
Pis là la soirée commence c'était vers 7h30

Come in ladies, come in gentlemen
Entrez mesdames, entrez messieurs
Marianne has her beautiful dress and then Rolande has her blue eyes
Marianne a sa belle robe et puis Rolande a ses yeux bleus
Yvonne put on her white shoes, her neckline then her beautiful gloves
Yvonne a mis ses souliers blancs, son décolleté puis ses beaux gants
She likes to do things in a big way, she just arrived from the convent
Ça aime à faire les choses en grand, ça vient d'arriver du couvent
There is also Jean-Marie, my cousin then my friend
Y a aussi Jean-Marie, mon cousin puis mon ami
What did he wear in his beautiful outfit, with his little varnished shoes?
Qu'a mis son bel habit, avec ses petits souliers vernis
He is dressed, as they say, like a traveling salesman
Le voilà mis comme on dit comme un commis-voyageur

When you dance in Saint-Dilon, it's not for kissing
Quand tu danses à Saint-Dilon, c'est pas pour les embrassages
It's reel and it goes quickly, you can't miss steps
C'est au réel puis ça va vite, il faut pas passer des pas
You have to follow the violin carefully if you don't want to be prudent
Il faut bien suivre le violon si vous voulez pas être sage
You might as well leave right away, there's neither time nor room for that
Aussi bien partir tout de suite y a ni temps ni place pour ça

Everyone swings and then everyone dances
Tout le monde balance et puis tout le monde danse
Jeanne dances with Antoine and then Jeanette with Raymond
Jeanne danse avec Antoine et pis Jeanette avec Raymond
Ti-Paul has just arrived with Thérèse at his side
Ti-Paul vient d'arriver avec Thérèse à ses côtés
She's going to spend the evening pretending to have fun
Ça va passer la soirée à faire semblant de s'amuser
And she misses Jean-Louis, her love and her friend
Et ça s'ennuie de Jean-Louis son amour et son ami
Who left to earn a living on the other side of Anticosti Island
Qui est parti gagner sa vie l'autre bord de l'île Anticosti
Left one beautiful Saturday like a cursed criminal
Est parti un beau samedi comme un maudit malfaiteur

They danced all evening, yes the Brandy then the Diver
Ont dansé toute la soirée, oui le Brandy puis la Plongeuse
And the Raven in the cage and then here we are after midnight
Et le Corbeau dans la cage et puis nous voilà passé minuit
It was Charlie who screwed up everything, lost his lover
C'est Charlie qui a tout calé, a perdu son amoureuse
He was let down for less fine but more handsome than him
Y s'est fait mettre en pacage par moins fin mais plus beau que lui

One last lap, the ladies' chain before leaving
Un dernier tour, la chaîne des dames avant de partir
She squeezed my hand tighter, she looked at me, I lost my step
A m'a serré la main plus fort, a m'a regardé j'ai perdu l'pas
Sunday evening after Vespers, I might go there, I might not go
Dimanche au soir après les Vêpres, j'irai-t'y bien j'irai-t'y pas
A little hello passed straight, I had never drank like that
Un petit salut passé tout droit, j'avais jamais viré comme ça

Here I am, all dizzy, my love and my friend
Me voilà tout étourdie, mon amour et mon ami
This is where he started spinning her like a top
C'est ici qu'il s'est mis à la tourner comme une toupie
She understood then she said Tuesday, no, Thursday
Elle a compris puis elle a dit mardi, non, jeudi
I'll think about it, would it make you happy
J'vais y penser, ça ferait ti ton bonheur

When a little guy from St-Dilon takes off after a girl
Quand un petit gars de St-Dilon prend sa course après une fille
He gets her fired so fast she can't stop
Il la fait virer si vite qu'elle ne peut plus s'arrêter
For a little violin tune, she would sell her whole family
Pour un petit air de violon, a' vendrait toute sa famille
To think that next Saturday he could perhaps invite her back
À penser qu'samedi en huit il pourrait peut être la réinviter

Then take off your cape, and swing the mandolin
Puis là ôte ta capine, pis swing la mandoline
And then take off your petticoat, then swing the madelon
Et puis ôte ton jupon, puis swing la madelon
Swing it hard then twist your body
Swing la fort puis tords-y le corps
Then show that you're not dead
Puis fais-y voir que t'es pas mort

Text & music: Gilles Vigneault
Harmonisation & arrangement: Gaston Rochon

Suggested Sources:

YouTube link performing musicians: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1404477243847167

YouTube link to performance by Pauline Julien (Retrospective 1928-1998, released 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXRujF1WhmQ

01/1/25

Chasse-galerie (2014)

French Lyrics:

Le froid mordait mon coeur gelé
Le vent hurlait ma solitude
J’aurais au diable vendu mon âme
Pour sentir la chaleur de ma douce compagne.

Le malin vit belle occasion
De tenter mes rêves, d’ouvrir l’horizon
De faire miroiter la chaleur de mon ange
Inaccessible en cette morte saison.

Il m’apparut coiffé de cornes
Son feu brûla mon visage morne
La terreur laissa place à mon fol espoir
Car ma douce compagne je mourrais de revoir

Son marché fut, fort équitable
Ce demon ne semblait pas mauvais diable
Dans un canot vers elle pourrais-je voler
Sans toutefois d’aucune croix m’approcher

Et vers le ciel je partis
Soutenu par tous les feux de l’enfer réunis

Au bord du rivage je l’avais quittée
Je vis son dernier souffle s’envoler
Mon canot frappa la croix du clocher
Dans ses bras je suis tombé.

From: Paroles.net (https://www.paroles.net/daniel-lavoie/paroles-chasse-galerie)

Suggested Sources:

Daniel Lavoie, “Chasse-galerie,” La licorne captive – Un projet musical de Laurent Guardo, 2014. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5v3CKFLJhM.