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Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
Song: Jambalaya (On the Bayou)
Artist: Hank Williams
Release Date: July 28, 1952
Genre: Country & Western, Honky-tonk, Country Blues
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Goodbye 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 me gun we’ll have a big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie on a file gumbo
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, filled fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of me gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou
[Verse 2]
Thibodaux Fontaineaux the place is buzzin’
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dressed in style, go hog wild, oh my oh my oh
Son of me gun we’ll have big fu o the bayou
Settle down far from town get me a pirogue
And I’ll catch all the fish in the bayou
[Chorus]
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie on a filé gumbo
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna see my cher amio
Pick guitar, filled fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of me gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie on a file gumbo
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, filled fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of me gun we’ll have big fun on the bayou
[Verse 3]
Later on, swap my mon, get me a pirogue
And I’ll catch all the fish on the bayou
Swap my mon, to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
Son of a gun we’ll have a big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie…
Connection to A Lesson Before Dying :
Born and raised in Alabama, Hank Williams was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. In 1952, his track, "Jambalaya (on the Bayou)" was released and became an instant hit. The song remained number 1 for fourteen consecutive weeks. It was recorded in the Castle Studio, Nashville. The song tells a story of a man’s who is looking forward to meeting his Yvonne, "ma cher amio", (my good friend in Cajun French or my dear) in Cajun Culture, at the Bayou. "Jambalaya (on the Bayou)" also mentions Cajun Cuisine of Louisiana such as Jambalaya, Gumbo, and Crawfish pie. It was the last song to be released by Williams before his passing and it is still his counted as one of his most famous songs.
Food plays an important role in life of Louisiana natives and American Cajun Culture. Whether it's time to party or mourn a death, food is always present to celebrate or console. The man in Hank Williams’ “Jambalaya (on the Bayou) shows his excitement of meeting his sweetheart by mentioning how they will celebrate the occasion with the famous Cajun food. Just like the song, Ernest J. Gaines' A Lesson Before Dying, food symbolizes different emotions, such as love, anger, agency, and attachment. Throughout the book several examples can be seen how food is used to show affection, exert power, or gain control of someone emotionally.
There are times when Gaines' protagonist, Grant Wiggins, refuses to eat his grandmother's food to express his anger, Miss Emma cooks her Godson Jefferson's food with extra care and love to show him he is loved and valued while he is in prison, Grant refuses to eat or drink at Henry Pichot's house to show his agency, and Jefferson refuses and eventually eats the food prepared by his godmother as an expression of him making peace with his situation and letting her know that he loves her. Gaines present the food culture in his novel as a medium of expression by his characters. Hank Williams, in his song, also uses food to express his happiness and excitement in meeting his beloved in the presence of food. Both the song and novel paints the picture of Louisiana life and landscape mentioning Bayou, plantation, farm life, and food.