Le Fou is Zachary’s 20th album. Going back to his roots, this album is steeped in the sounds and rhythms of Louisana. The texture is acoustic folk. The songs simple yet rich in emotion. The themes of resistance (Laisse le vent souffler - Let the storm wind blow), of separation (La chanson des migrateurs - The migrant’s song) and of identity (Orignal ou caribou - Moose or caribou) are still present in Zachary’s work, but this album has a unique Louisiana flavor as only Zachary Richard can prepare. Clif’s Zydeco, Sweet Sweet, Crevasse Crevasse, Bee de la manche pay tribute to the culture of Zachary’s bayou home. The title song (Le Fou - The Crazy) was inspired by the Deepwater Horizon spill of 2010. The first bird to be captured and cleaned in April of that year was a northern gannet, whose name in French is “Fou de Bassan” (Crazy from Bassan). The folly of which the song speaks is the folly of mankind in destroying the natural environment. It’s enough to make you crazy.
Zachary received his first recording contract at the age of 21. He was the last artist to sign with Electra records before the creation of WEA. That album, High Time, was lost in the maelstrom surrounding the merger and was not released until 2000 when the original masters were found in a vault in New York City and made available on Rhino Hand Made.
It was during his early days in New Yorek that Zachary made a discovery that would influence his art and effect the rest of his life. With the advance money from the record company, he purchased a Cajun accordion. From that moment on, he was swept up by the French language culture of Louisiana. Delving into the Cajun tradition, Zachary formed the first new generation Cajun/Rock band. It would be years, however, before Cajun music became popular outside of rural Louisiana. In the meantime, Zachary career led him to Canada and France.
From 1976 until 1981, Zachary lived in Montreal, recording seven French language albums including two gold albums, Mardi Gras and Migration. Despite critical and commercial success in the French-speaking world, Zachary returned to Louisiana in the early 1980s and began another phase of his career, this time recording in English. He recorded two albums for Rounder Records, Mardi Gras Mambo and the perennial favorite Zack’s Bon Ton, before signing with A&M, and recording two albums at the label, Women in the Room, and SnakeBite Love. Non-stop touring and the strength of these recordings guaranteed Zachary an international following.
In 1994, after and extended absence from the French market, Zachary returned to Canada to play at the Acadian World Congress in New Brunswick. Passionately inspired by his heritage once again, Zachary began a new collection of French songs. The result was Cap Enragé. This double platinum (Canada) album established Zachary Richard as one of the foremost singer-songwriters in the French-speaking world. Once again Zachary had broken the mold, weaving a musical tapestry rich in atmosphere, with masterfully crafted lyrics dealing with far ranging themes.
During his years in Montreal, Zachary published three volumes of poetry, receiving the prestigious Prix Champlain for Faire Récolte in 1998. Zachary’s third volume, Feu was awarded the Prix Roland Gasparic in Roumania, the jury noting not only Zachary’s unique poetics, but also his militant commitment to the defense of the French language in North America. With his daughter Sarah, Zachary had published three children’s book.
In 1996, Zachary founded Action Cadienne, a volunteer organization dedicated to the promotion of the French language and the Cadien/Cajun culture of Louisiana. His contributions to the arts and to French culture were recognized by the government of France in March, 1997. Zachary Richard was decorated Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres de la République Française. That same year, Zachary was initiated into the Ordre des Francophones d’Amérique by the government of Québec. Zachary has received three honorary doctorates, bestowed by the University of Moncton (New Brunswick), the University of Louisiana (Lafayette) and Ste Anne’s University in Nova Scotia.
Zachary Richard has produced and narrated numerous television documentaries. In collaboration with Louisiana Public Broadcasting, he produced, narrated and scored Against the Tide, the story of the Cajun people of Louisiana which was awarded Best Historical Documentary by the National Educational Television Association (NETA) in 2000. A French version, Contre vents, contre marées received the Prix Historia from the L’institut d’Histoire de l’Amérique Française in 2003. Other documentary projects included Coeurs Batailleurs, a 26 part series exploring the Acadian diaspora, Migrations, which dealt with avian migration in North America and was awarded the Liriot D’or (first prize) and the International Ornithological Film Festival (France) in 2008, and most recently Kouchibouguac, which investigated the social upheaval following the expropriation of 250 Acadian families in 1978 for the creation of a national park.
The celebrated Creole poet, Aimé Césaire, once said that to separate himself from one of his languages (French and Créole) would be like cutting off one of his hands. It is much the same for Zachary. Participating completely in two distinct cultures and creating in his two languages, French and English, Zachary’s artistic experience is unique. He is the most American of French songwriters, and the most French of the American.
Official Website: Zachary Richard
High Time
Zachary Richard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on along and we'll sit upon the Bayou Teche.
Sit on the oak stump and sip on the clear, clean moonshine,
Hé boy, emmène ta cane à pêche.
Chorus:
We gonna have a high time drinking our wine on the bayou.
Gonna jump in the pirogue, gonna take it to the fais do-do.
Gonna see all the Cajun ladies, don't you know,
Uncle Ambrose he put on his two-step rhythm.
Ma tante Cléophile brought out the Chevrolet.
They're going down, they wan to listen to the fiddler.
He's gonna play all night 'til the break of day.
Chorus
If you go dancing you see many, many fine young ladies,
Surtout les belles filles qui viennent de Grand Mamou.
And you can get your fill of the Cajun cooking
With couche-couche, écrevisse and filé gombo
The lyrics of Zachary Richard's "High Time" are a joyous invitation to an idyllic experience on the Bayou Teche. The song calls to "Come on along" and take the ferry boat down to Breaux Bridge where they will sit on an oak stump, sip on clear, clean moonshine, and fish the day away. The image of the bayou is painted as a paradise where one can have a "high time" drinking wine and jumping in the pirogue (a flat-bottomed boat) to take it to the fais do-do (Cajun dance party). The Cajun ladies will be there with their beaus, dancing and enjoying the music played by the fiddler. The song celebrates the joy of the moment and the beauty of the Bayou Teche, a significant location in Acadiana with a rich history of folklore, culture, and music.
The second verse introduces Uncle Ambrose and Ma tante Cléophile, who bring out their Chevrolet to drive down to the dance party and listen to the fiddler play all night until the break of day. The song emphasizes the importance of music in Cajun life and how it brings people together in celebration. The Cajun girls from Grand Mamou are mentioned, and the verse suggests that one can find many beautiful ladies while dancing on the bayou. The final verse praises Cajun cooking, with couche-couche, écrevisse, and filé gombo being celebrated as part of the cultural heritage of Acadiana. Overall, High Time is a tribute to a unique corner of the world where music, food, and culture coexist in perfect harmony, and where the people of the bayou know how to have a high time.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on along, we'll take the ferry boat down to Breaux Bridge,
Join me on the trip to Breaux Bridge via ferry boat.
Come on along and we'll sit upon the Bayou Teche.
Let's relax on the Bayou Teche and enjoy the scenic view.
Sit on the oak stump and sip on the clear, clean moonshine,
Sit with me and drink some good homemade clear moonshine.
Hé boy, emmène ta cane à pêche.
Hey boy, don't forget your fishing rod.
Chorus:
This is the chorus of the song.
We gonna have a high time drinking our wine on the bayou.
We'll have a great time drinking wine on the bayou.
Gonna jump in the pirogue, gonna take it to the fais do-do.
We'll hop in the pirogue and go to the fais do-do.
Gonna see all the Cajun ladies, don't you know,
We'll get to see a lot of Cajun ladies, you know.
And they'll all be dancing with their Cajun beaus.
The Cajun ladies will be dancing with their partners.
Uncle Ambrose he put on his two-step rhythm.
Uncle Ambrose started playing his two-step rhythm.
Ma tante Cléophile brought out the Chevrolet.
My aunt Cléophile brought out her Chevrolet car.
They're going down, they wan to listen to the fiddler.
They're heading down to listen to the fiddler play.
He's gonna play all night 'til the break of day.
The fiddler will play into the early morning.
If you go dancing you see many, many fine young ladies,
There are many young, attractive ladies when you go dancing.
Surtout les belles filles qui viennent de Grand Mamou.
Especially the beautiful girls from Grand Mamou.
And you can get your fill of the Cajun cooking
You can enjoy plenty of delicious Cajun food.
With couche-couche, écrevisse and filé gombo
Such as couche-couche, crawfish, and filé gumbo.
Contributed by Christopher C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trishibebe
on Iko Iko
I tell you ma cher the thing that makes me Trieste is no Mardi Gras parties this year, and that is pas bon pas bon pas bon! The plague of 2020 and has canceled it all over our state. So I will be playing my music at top volume come this February so ll my neighbors hear it.