[MSL]

Jambalaya

  I am glad to make this jambalaya topic/thread in this omnilogical community. Many of us like the song 'Jambalaya' or/and many of us like the dish jambalaya.
 Let's start with the

Jambalaya dish

. You can see our home-made jambalaya first:

. It's a jambalaya dish with shrimps. (You know -- shrimps, rice, sausages, etc.)
 And now about the

song 'Jambalaya (On the Bayou)'

. It's a very good song, in my opinion!
 So, it is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams, Sr. that was first released in July 1952. Named for a Creole and Cajun dish, jambalaya, it spawned numerous cover versions and has since achieved popularity in several different music genres.
 About the authorship: With a melody based on the Cajun song "Grand Texas", some sources, including Allmusic, claim that the song was co-written by Williams and Moon Mullican, with Mullican uncredited but receiving ongoing royalties.
 Released in July 1952, crediting Williams as the sole author, it was performed by Williams as a country song. It reached number one on the U.S. country charts for fourteen non-consecutive weeks. "Jambalaya" remains one of Hank Williams' most popular songs today.
 Cajun roots -- Since the original melody of the song was from a Cajun French song called "Grand Texas," the song is a staple of Cajun culture. Although Williams changed the lyrics, he kept a Louisiana theme. After Williams released his version, Cajuns recorded the song again using Cajun instruments. However, they used Williams' lyrics translated into the Cajun French language. Over the past few decades, the Cajun French version has been performed by many Cajun bands including Aldus Roger and Jo-El Sonnier.
 Theme -- Williams' song resembles "Grand Texas", a Cajun French song, in melody only. "Grand Texas" is a song about a lost love, a woman who left the singer to go with another man to "Big Texas".

However, "Jambalaya", while maintaining a Cajun theme, is about life, parties and stereotypical food of Cajun cuisine. The protagonist leaves to pole a pirogue – a flat-bottomed boat – down the shallow water of the bayou, to attend a party with his girlfriend Yvonne, and her family. At the feast they have Cajun cuisine, notably Jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo and drink liquor from fruit jars. Yvonne is his "ma chaz ami-o", which is Cajun French for "my good girlfriend" (“ma chère amie” in French). Williams uses the term "ma chaz ami" as one word, thus the "my" in front of it. The "o" at the end of "ami" is a poetic/lyrical device making the line match the phrasing of the previous line and rhyme with it.

Williams composed a sequel to the song from the female perspective, "I'm Yvonne (Of the Bayou)", with Jimmy Rule. It was not as popular. As with "Jambalaya" there is speculation that Williams may have purchased this song from Mullican.

Later researched by a member of Moon Mullican's family, a story emerged about how the song came about in the first place, and it was said that while visiting a small bar located just south of the Choupique Bayou and owned by Yvonne Little, the song "Jambalaya" referred to some truly wonderful times had there.

Chart performance:


Chart (1952)                                     Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles             1
U.S. Billboard Most Played By Jukeboxes    20

And another picture: ^{"Jambalaya (On the Bayou) sheet music cover" by Source. Licensed under Fair use via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jambalaya_(On_the_Bayou)_sheet_music_cover.jpg#/media
/File:Jambalaya_(On_the_Bayou)_sheet_music_cover.jpg}
 Source of the info about the song above: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambalaya_%28On_the_Bayou%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License)
 And the lyrics of the song:


 

"Jambalaya (On The Bayou)"

Good-bye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh!
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou.
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh!
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!

(Chorus)
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo,
'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio!
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o!
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!

Thibodeaux, Fontainenot, the place is buzzin’.
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen.
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh!
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!

(Chorus)
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo,
'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio!
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o!
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!

Settle down, far from town, get me a pirogue,
And I’ll catch all the fish in the bayou!
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o!
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!

(Chorus)
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo,
'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio!
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o!
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou!
 My favorite version is the Jerry Lee Lewis' one.
 

[Gay]

and be gay-o!

This is what touched me! Be gay-o!
 

Love: Mr. Internet Gay.

[SEO]

Mr. Internet Gay.

[mojo]

Thank you for a well researched and interesting thread MSL.