i always hear some 'tit galoup pour mamou in that song, or vice versa.

roger

try Nathan Abshire's version. really good

Yeah I hear that to. Is it common in Cajun music for musicians to use a tune several times and add different words to it? I noticed it not only in this song but also when I heard the Balfa Brothers play the "Family Waltz" and it sounds like Bayou Pon Pon. Sorry a litte OT there maybe.

I love the song "Games People Play" but I don't know French so I don't know what the lyrics are. Can someone post them by chance?

It is very common in Cajun music to have the same tune, or a derivative of it, with different takes on it and different words. I think it's because in the old days when they were learning songs from hearing so and so play it one night, then they went home and tried to play it the way they think they remembered hearing it. Maybe couldn't remember the words so they just improvised. You end up with small (or big) differences in both tune and words.

Sometimes the same tune is played in both waltz and 2 step and considered different songs, or in different positions on the accordion and also considered different songs. Family Waltz and Pon Pon seems to have quite a few differences to me though, besides one a 2 step and one a waltz.

Did you mean you would like them in French or English? I don't know French either, the English words can be found by searching for Joe South lyrics, he wrote the song. I would love to have a French translation, if someone would take the time.

Song from Joe South
Cajun version by Nathan Abshire
(CD “Pine Grove Blues”)


La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (x 4)

Oh le game tout le monde joue,
Ca fait de la peine de les voir faire,
Casser le cœur de nous,
Tout le temps dans les misères.

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (x 4)

Oh le game tout le monde joue,
Ca fait de la peine de les voir faire,
Tout le temps après souffert,
Dans les chagrins, chère.

Marc

Thank you for all the answers. It's awesome to talk to people who are so knowledgeable about this.

I would have prefered the lyrics in English but I can use an online translator and figure them out. Thank you.

haha, don't use an online translator, they don't know Cajun. It's roughly this.

Oh the games people play,
it is painful to see
it breaks our heart
always in misery.

La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la (x 4)

Oh the games people play,
it is painful to see
always suffering
in sadness, dear.

Thank you Bryan for the Enlish translation. That makes a lot more sense then what the translator was saying.

I always wondered if the two tunes had the same origin. They sound like the same song to me.

Thanks for all the input, esp the french lyrics and the cajun french interp. of those lyrics. Again, the Joe South lyrics can be found at many sites, just google Joe South.
I know it ain't cajun, but The Ga Satellites do a great R&R version of Joe's song.
Be Brave!