Corey Ledet plays a song called "Bye,bye Catin" on his instructional DVD. I never heard it before but it seems like a very popular zydeco tune. It could half a million other names. Could i get some help about other versions and/or possible lyrics?
Merci in advance
I'm not familiar with Corey's video. That said, Boozoo does a song with the same title on the album "Lake Charles Atomic Bomb". It's from his very earliest recordings and good luck in making any sense out of it. Aspects of this version show up in various songs he did later on. Some such traits are in a later much more coherent track called "Boozoo's Theme Song", from the album "Boozoo Chavis". (Not to be confused with a totally different song of the same title from the album "Zydeco Trail Ride", which is a totally different song, even though it has the same title.) Some of his other 3 row songs also exhibit some of the same phrases or musical elements, but... that's true of many of his songs.
Hope this helps. As I read what I've written, it's about as straight forward as much of Boozoos best. As he said...if I'm wrong, you're wrong too. Yeah you right!
thanks for all the info, very interesting everything you mention there. It's not that song despite having the same name. it's a great song too though. I've just read Dr. John post and Boozoo calls it "Motordude special".
The most common name of this tune is "Motordude Special", which Boozoo wrote about his horse. There are no lyrics.
Check out Boozoo's CD: Johnnie Billy Goat.
Come to Balfa Camp in 3 weeks Corey will be teaching.
thanks. I don't have the album but i just listened to the track in amazon and you're right, it is the same song. I'll buy that album as soon as I can.
In the sample i've heard he sings:
bye, bye chére catin
bye, bye chére bébé
but i guessed that's all he sings in the whole song.
I would love to come to Balfa Camp some day. For us who come from Europe it takes a bit of planning to come to these events. I've been dans la Louisiane before and i'll be back there as soon as i can.
Not really that popular in terms of zydeco, but Boozoo's version does stick in many ways outside of the parish popularity. But there are a boatload of versions, including one by the big band leader, Charles Roach. But as long as I have a tad of The Tuskegee Institute's School of Music in my soul, I guess my favorite version is that of Sueur Faucheux... he had a good one...
Paquet vers le haut de tous mon soin et ennui
Je vais, Le bas de chant, Merle d'au revoir
Là où quelqu'un m'attend, Sugar'
le bonbon à s, est ainsi elle
Au revoir Merle !
Personne ici ne peuvent m'aimer ou comprendre
Ah, quelles histoires dures de chance elles toute la main je, etc, etc,...
When he sang this, people would faint. The way he sang it meant a lot to older folks and people with illnesses. A lot of men would wait for this song before asking a woman to dance just to gauge their reactions as a test. In times of need, this song was used as a favor to soothe infants. It still remains as a useful favor, applied by many today, including within zydeco.
To be enclosed within zydeco, it takes a skill and talent to reveal such a force to a public who understands. I suppose that is why Sueur chose to sing of packing up. I know I would if I had the challenge of comforting the young.
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
