Mais quand on part du Canada (AU1998-1074-012)

Mais quand on part du Canada (AU1998-1074-012)

Excerpt from interview of Alberta Gagné (TC1998-1074-012) 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.

“Mais quand on part du Canada” (“But when we left Canada”). As soon as Alberta Gagné finished singing the previous song, “Envoyons d’l’avant nos gens,” she immediately launched into this song, which shares the same melody, refrain, and theme: the return of young men to their families in “Canada” (the term “Canada” in most traditional French-Canadian songs generally refers to the province of Quebec, not the nation of Canada). This “spin-off” song, which comically relates the return of some would-be jobseekers who head to the United States, are unable to land work, and return home, has only two known documentations, both from Ontario. The theme, melody, and structure of “Envoyons d’l’avant nos gens” has inspired other spin-off songs, such as “La Tapinie,” popularized by the Quebec traditional band La Bottine Souriante on their album Chic ‘n Swell (Mille-Pattes 2033, 1983).

Alberta chose to omit some additional verses which she said she’d rather not sing. She added that she learned this song from some lumberjacks who visited on weekends when she and her family were living in Newport, New Hampshire.

VFC1998-0007 Martha Pellerin Collection. TC1998-1074 interview with Alberta Gagné. Vermont Folklife Center Archive, Vermont Folklife Center, Middlebury, Vermont, United States of America.

Copyright (c) Vermont Folklife Center

Full Interview: vfc1998-0005_tc1998-1074

fra

vfc1998-0007_tc1998-1074-001b-002

Mais quand on part du Canada (first line)

Départ pour les États-Unis ; Timbre: Envoyons d’ l’avant nos gens, VI, B-141

Mais quand on part du Canada

(BEGIN SINGING)

 

Mais quand on part du Canada

Pour aller dans les États,

Encore rendu dans les États,

De travailler a bien fallu,

            [Refrain]  :

Envoyons d'l'avant nos gens,

Envoyons d'l'avant.

 

Encore rendu dans les États

De travailler a bien fallu,

 

[Pause]

 

AG: Ah, I don't know if I remember it.

 

[Resumes singing]

 

Encore rendu au bout d'une s'maine,

On a pas gagné pas une maudite cenne,

Refrain

 

Encore rendu au bout d'la s'maine,

On avait pas une maudite cenne,

Ah, c'est là qu'on a décidé,

De retourner au Canada,

            Refrain

 

Ah, c'est là qu'on a décidé,

De retourner au Canada,

En arrivant mais t-à la gare,

Tous nos parents venaient nous voir,

            Refrain

 

En arrivant mais a la gare,

Tous nos parents venaient nous voir :

« Ô, bonjour donc, Américains,

A-vous appris à parler l'anglais ? »

            Refrain

 

« Ô, bonjour donc, Américains

A-vous appris à parler l'anglais ? »

“Oh, yes, very well,

Good morning and go to hell!”

            Refrain 

 

“Oh, yes very well,

Good morning and go to hell!”

A-vous su qu'ma tante Julie,

Avait perdu sa belle grande truie,

            Refrain

 

A-vous su qu'ma tante Julie,

A v’nait de perdr’ sa belle grand’ truie,

A-vous su…

 

 [Hesitates]

 

UV: ma tante Césaire…

 

AG: [Laughs and continues]

 

Ma tante Césaire,

A perdu sa pipe et pis sa blague,

            Refrain [repeat] 

(END SINGING)

 

sound cassette (analog)