Jambalaya
Hank Williams Jr. & Hank Williams Sr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 good fun on the bayou.
Chorus:
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and a fillet gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou.
--- Instrumental ---
Thibodeaux Fontainbleau, the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style, go hog wild, me oh, my oh
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.
Chorus:
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and a fillet 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.
--- Instrumental ---
Chorus:
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and a fillet 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.
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou.
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou...
The first verse of this song sets the scene of someone bidding farewell to his friend, Joe, because he has to go pole his flat-bottomed fishing boat called a pirogue down the bayou to meet his lover, Yvonne. "Me-oh-my-oh" is an expression of excitement and anticipation of the fun to be had on the bayou - a swampy area that covers much of southern Louisiana. The chorus is an invitation to join in the festivities, with promises of delicious food such as jambalaya (a spicy rice dish), crawfish pie, and file gumbo. The second verse paints a picture of the excitement Yvonne's family and friends feel when they hear they're coming to visit, all dressed in their finest clothes, to have a good time on the bayou.
The final verse reveals that the singer plans to settle down on the bayou, away from the hustle and bustle of town life. He'll fish all day, catch a lot of fish, and sell them to provide for Yvonne's needs. The song is a celebration of the simple pleasures of life, good food, and good company, found on the bayou.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye Joe, me gotta go, me-oh-my-oh
Farewell Joe, I must leave, my goodness me!
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
I must go steer my boat down the bayou.
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me-oh-my-oh
Yvonne, my sweet one, goodness gracious me!
Son-of-a-gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Wow! We're going to have a great time on the bayou!
Jambalaya, crawfish pie and fillet gumbo
I am going to have myself some delicious Cajun food.
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma-chère amie-oh
Tonight I'll finally get to see my dear friend, oh!
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-oh
I'll play my guitar, fill up my jar with fruit, and be happy, oh!
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux, the place is buzzin'
Thibodaux, Fontaineaux - the place is alive!
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
My relatives all come to see Yvonne in large groups.
Dress in style and go hog wild, me-oh-my-oh
Dress extravagantly and have a great time, good gracious me!
Settle down, far from town, get me a pirogue
I want to settle down away from the city and get myself a boat.
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
I'll catch all the fish in the bayou.
Later on, swap my mon', get me a pirogue
Later, I will exchange some money to get myself a boat.
Swap my mon', to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
Exchange my money to buy Yvonne whatever she needs, oh!
Son-of-a-gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
Wow! We're going to have a great time on the bayou!
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie
I'm going to have myself some delicious Cajun food.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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BarfyMan 362
Even a happier song such as this one has that haunting sound to it, I suppose Hank's voice just reaches deep down to my soul
felixbautista
Thank you so much for your impressive remarks.
Molly Walker
He is great. Such a happy song, love the music too. Could listen to it a thousand times and wouldn't get tired of it.
felixbautista
Thank you so much for your kind attention to the video Molly.. have a wonderful upcoming week.
uns33n
This song was one of the last things my grandmothers memory was able to hold onto. Definitely a bitter sweet song now with those memories attached to it.
Jacob Ingot
What I like about Hank Williams, is that the tone and how he played the guitar didn't change, but the words always did. I've always liked that
felixbautista
Thank you so much for your kind attention to the video ... have a wonderful upcoming week.
Jacob Ingot
You too sir!
Rippin lips and Shitbox whips
The soul put into this music is like no other....true music for the love of being a musician, and artist.
David McNeil
A classic of the times. Love the violin..