La prière d’un aveugle (AU1998-1072-008)
Dublin Core
Title
La prière d’un aveugle (AU1998-1072-008)
Subject
Description
Excerpt from interview of Alberta Gagné (TC1998-1072-008) by Martha Pellerin. Part of a project (VFC1998-0007) on Franco-American song in New England funded by the Vermont Folklife Center and undertaken by Pellerin. Interview is one in a series of six conducted between 1995-01-09 and 1995-12-06 as an effort to document the French language song repertoire of Gagné.
“La prière d’un aveugle” (”The blindman’s prayer“) is an original song by guitarist, harmonica player, singer-songwriter Willie Lamothe. The lyrics are his; the melody is perhaps borrowed from a popular American country song of the era. The earliest known recording of this song dates to Lamothe’s 1963 album, Willie Lamothe (London Records – MB103, 1963).
“Willie Lamothe” was the stage name of Joachim Guillaume Lamothe (1920 -1992). Born and raised in Ste-Hyacinthe, he began his career as a teacher of dance and then turned to singing, his act including imitations of French pop singers Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet. Lamothe was signed on as an RCA Victor recording artist and made a number of 78rpms with western and country music themes starting in 1946. Ultimately, he recorded over 500 songs, both originals and translated renditions of English language country music hits. Lamothe had an active career as a stage and touring performer in Quebec in the 1950s, and hosted his own television variety show, Le Ranch à Willy, in the 1970s. He also performed as an actor in a number of films in the 1970s.
Alberta Gagné told interviewer Martha Pellerin she learned “La prière d’un aveugle” from someone who listened to a recording, wrote out the words, and gave them to her.
“La prière d’un aveugle” (”The blindman’s prayer“) is an original song by guitarist, harmonica player, singer-songwriter Willie Lamothe. The lyrics are his; the melody is perhaps borrowed from a popular American country song of the era. The earliest known recording of this song dates to Lamothe’s 1963 album, Willie Lamothe (London Records – MB103, 1963).
“Willie Lamothe” was the stage name of Joachim Guillaume Lamothe (1920 -1992). Born and raised in Ste-Hyacinthe, he began his career as a teacher of dance and then turned to singing, his act including imitations of French pop singers Maurice Chevalier and Charles Trenet. Lamothe was signed on as an RCA Victor recording artist and made a number of 78rpms with western and country music themes starting in 1946. Ultimately, he recorded over 500 songs, both originals and translated renditions of English language country music hits. Lamothe had an active career as a stage and touring performer in Quebec in the 1950s, and hosted his own television variety show, Le Ranch à Willy, in the 1970s. He also performed as an actor in a number of films in the 1970s.
Alberta Gagné told interviewer Martha Pellerin she learned “La prière d’un aveugle” from someone who listened to a recording, wrote out the words, and gave them to her.
Abstract
I am a singer on the prairie, I sing to keep my spirits lifted; oh, how unhappy I am; never can I see the blue sky or the earth, or even my mother; I ask God to give my sight. Like everyone, I’d like someone who would look at me, a life companion who would banish my loneliness; but there’s nothing I can do; God guides our destiny; and I continue to weep to rinse my large, closed eyes; I have neither family nor friends; nonetheless, I’m no robber; oh you, who are king of the heavens, give me eyes. I would be able to contemplate your works, the heavens, the earth, and also the flowers; and that day would be so great, [here Alberta faltered and could only remember the last two words of the last line] to keep a long time.
Source
VFC1998-0007 Martha Pellerin Collection. TC1998-1072 interview with Alberta Gagné. Vermont Folklife Center Archive, Vermont Folklife Center, Middlebury, Vermont, United States of America.
Date
Rights
Copyright (c) Vermont Folklife Center
Relation
Full Interview: vfc1998-0005_tc1998-1072
Language
fra
Identifier
vfc1998-0007_tc1998-1072-001a-008
Song Item Type Metadata
Supplied Title
La chanson d’un aveugle
Standard Title
La prière d’un aveugle
First Line
Je suis un chanteur des prairies
Transcription
(BEGIN SINGING)
Je suis un chanteur des prairies
Je chante pour mon désennuie,
Oh comme je suis malheureux,
Jamais, je n'ai vu le ciel bleu,
Jamais, je n'ai pu voir la terre,
Ni même contempler ma mère,
Et je demande au bon Dieu,
De me donner comme tous les yeux.
Comme tous les autres j'aimerais,
Quelqu'un qui me contemplerait.
Une compagne pour ma vie,
Qui dissiperait mon ennui.
Mais me voilà, je ne puis rien,
Car Dieu conduit notre destin,
Et je continue de pleurer,
Pour mouiller mes grands yeux fermés.
Je n'ai ni parents, ni amis,
Et pourtant je n'suis pas bandit,
Oh vous, qui êtes roi des cieux,
Rendez-moi, rendez-moi mes yeux.
Je pourrais contempler vos œuvres,
Le ciel, la terre aussi les fleurs,
Et ce jour-là sera si grand,
… [Alberta hesitates, searching for the last line]
… guarder longtemps.
[END CASSETTE SIDE A]
Translation
strophic, eight-line verses; three verses
Interviewer
Location
Original Format
sound cassette (analog)
Files
Citation
“La prière d’un aveugle (AU1998-1072-008),” Vermont Folklife Center Digital Collections, accessed October 17, 2024, https://vtfolklifearchive.org/collections/items/show/308.
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