This LBR recording is my favorite just for the way Andre plays the accordion part. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite accordionists, past or present.
Something I particularly like on this recording is that you can hear the left side of the accordion "snoring". Just like on the old recordings.
Aunt and Uncle in Cajun are sometimes used for close acquaintances, though usually not in the romantic sense. Lot's of odd references (along with sexual innuendos) in these old songs, I imagine a lot of it was personal inside jokes. Many say the song was supposed to be "le pistache a trois nana", which is a 3 nut peanut, supposedly referencing a quality peanut. A sly word twist referring to poor Aunt Nana.
On my way to Uncle Octave's,
Who plants the beautiful farm,
Of cotton and corn,
And Aunt Nana's peanut.
That's what's so good
Roasted (grilled) in the bottom of the stove,
when the weather is rainy,
Aunt Nana's peanut
She is pretty and so cute,
It's her I love so much,
The dear little doll,
Well, Aunt Nana's peanut
On my way to Uncle Octave's
Who makes the big butcherings
Boudin and some gratons
And Aunt Nana's peanut.
Singing about a "pistache à trois nanas" sounds stranger to me than singing about the "pistache à Tante Nana" and seems to be more like a later attempt to erase the funny double entendre and make the song sound more "correct". Just an impression but let's not forget Nathan's "Banane à Nonc' Adam" and a few others that escape me right now.
Anyone know the oldest recorded or transcribed version of the song?
you all are so awesome. great information. it really helps to get insight into these songs....just when i think i "get" it, more information.
thanks for all the input.
Christian the reason it's a song about trois nana is because most peanut shells only have two peanuts in them, sometimes you find one with 3 or 4 peanuts in one shell. So the writer of the original song was using that as being rare like finding a four leaf clover. It makes perfect sense to me. To make the song something to talk about Sidney Brown changed it Tante Nana.
Le Piquant
Sometimes its better not to know the translation of a song. The meaning takes away from the beautiful melody of the song. The words to this one prove it.
Hello
On the Swallow Record label is a selection which has one side Sidney Brown and the other side is Shorty LeBlanc. I have it on cassette but Im not sure if it is available still. You would be pleasantly surprised with the Shorty LeBlanc side. The song you are most interested in is on the Sidney Brown side.
Peace