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
Jambalaya
Zachary Richard 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 big fun on the bayou
Chorus
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo
'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio
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
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
"Jambalaya" is a lively and upbeat song about a man named Joe who is leaving to go down the bayou with his beloved Yvonne. The lyrics are written in a Cajun style, with many references to Southern cuisine and culture. The chorus is a call and response, with Joe singing about the food and good times he will have with his friends and family, and the crowd responding with enthusiasm.
Joe's departure is bittersweet - he has to leave behind his hometown of Thibodeaux and his kinfolk, who come to see Yvonne in droves. But he is excited for the adventure to come, catching fish in his pirogue and buying Yvonne everything she needs. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of Southern Louisiana, with its lively parties, delicious food, and strong sense of community.
Overall, "Jambalaya" is a celebration of Southern culture and hospitality. The song has a joyful energy that reflects the spirit of the Bayou, with its vibrant music and dance scene.
Line by Line Meaning
Good-bye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
Saying farewell to Joe, I have to leave now, oh my goodness
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
I have to go steer the boat down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Referring to my Yvonne, who is sweet and charming, oh my goodness
Son of a gun, we’ll have big fun on the bayou
We will have a lot of good times on the bayou
Chorus
Refrain
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file' gumbo
Jambalaya, crawfish pie, and file' gumbo
'Cause tonight I’m gonna see my ma cher amio
Because tonight I will see my dear friend
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Play the guitar, fill up the jar with fruit and be happy
Thibodeaux, Fontainenot, the place is buzzin’
Thibodeaux, Fontainenot - the town is bustling
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Relatives come in droves to see Yvonne
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh
Get dressed fashionably and go crazy with excitement, oh my goodness
Settle down, far from town, get me a pirogue
Find a peaceful place away from the city and obtain a boat for myself
And I’ll catch all the fish in the bayou
And I will catch all the fish in the bayou
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
Exchange my money to buy what Yvonne needs
Contributed by Taylor F. 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.