Bonhomme! Bonhomme! (MS2011-3222-058)

Bonhomme! Bonhomme! (MS2011-3222-058)

French language song text from VFC2006-0002 Beaudoin Family Collection. MS2011-3222-058 Eva Lacourse Songbook. Pp. 101-103.

“Bonhomme! Bonhomme!” [“Bonhomme ! Bonhomme !” “Good Sir! Good Sir”] is a transcription of a setting of a very ancient and widely sung French enumerative song. The earliest known printed setting of this song dates to 1612. Versions have been collected throughout France, Quebec. Ontario, and New Brunswick, as well as Louisiana, Switzerland, and Italy.

French folksong scholar Patrice Coirault catalogued this song under the title ”La mistenlaire” (10310 ) and French-Canadian folksong scholar Conrad Laforte has it catalogued under the titled “Bonhomme sais-tu jouer?” (IV, Mb-01). Like many enumerative traditional songs, “Bonhomme! Bonhomme” was formerly sung for a pantomime game i(ronde) n which the singers imitate the various sounds and gestures associated with each musical instrument mentioned.

In ca. 1924, Émile Lamarre and the Quatuor Canadien recorded a version of this song for the Victor/His Master’s Voice label (issue # 263179, side A). Nine-year-old singing prodigy Jeanne d’Arc Charlebois (1920-2001) recorded a version for the Compo/Mignon label in 1929 (issue # 55040; matrix # 11729); in 1930, Montreal silent movie director, journalist, accountant, municipal officer, singer and actor Conrad Gauthier recorded a version for the Victor label (issue #2637333, side A).

You can hear Gauthier’s recording on the Library and Archives Canada website, the Virtual Gramophone: "Bonhomme! Bonhomme!”

Enumerative song asks a man if he would play various musical instruments (violin, flute, drum, trumpet) and the bottle, with imitations of the sounds of each.

VFC2006-0002 Beaudoin Family Collection. MS2011-3222 Eva Lacourse Songbook. Vermont Folklife Center Archive, Vermont Folklife Center, Middlebury, Vermont, United States of America.

Bonhomme! Bonhomme!

Fellow! Fellow!

Bonhomme, bonhomme si tu jouais (bis)

1
Bonhomme, bonhomme si tu jouais (bis)
Si tu jouais de ce voilon la (bis)
Zinz, zin, zan de ce voilon la (bis)
Tu n’es pas matire dans ta maison
Quand nous y comme (bis)

2
Bonhomme, bonhomme si tu jouais (bis)
Si tu jouais de ct flute la (bis)
Zinz, zan, zan de ce voilon la (bis)
Bonhomme bonhomme
Tu n’es pas maitre dans ta maison
Quand nous y somme

3
Bonhomme si tu jouais (bis)
Si tu jouais de ce tambour la (bis)
Bing, bin, ban de ce tambour la (bis)
Flute flut’ de c’te flut’ qui flute (bis)
Zing, zin, zan de ce violon la (bis)
Bonhomme, bonhomme
Tu n’es pas maitre dans ta maison
Quand nous y somme (bis)

4
Bonhomme bonhomme si tu jouais (bis)
Si tu jouais de ce cornet la (bis)
Taratata de ce cornet la (bis)
Flut, flut ce c’te flute qui flute (bis)
Zinz, zans, zan de ce violon la (bis)
Bonhomme, bonhomme
Tu n’es pas maitre dans ta maison
Quand nous y comme (bis)

5
Bonhomme bonhomme si tu jouais (bis)
Si tu jouais de c’te bouteille la (bis)
Glou glou glou de c’te bouteille la (bis)
Taratata de ce cornet la
Flute, flut’ de c’te flut qui flute (bis)
Zinq, zon, zan de ce violon la (bis)
Bonhomme bonhomme
Tu n’es pas maitre dans ta maison
Quand nous y somme (bis)

Fin