A man says goodbye as he goes off to work in the woods. He sings of the remoteness, the loneliness. He returns to find his loved one married – and haughty at that!
Adieu, Papa, 1996. Lucy Doucet. T-3257. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Artist
Lucy Doucet
Lucy Jane Doucet was born on March 1, 1909 in Belle Côte, Inverness County. She was the fourth of nine children born to Marcellin and Flavie Chiasson. Lucy attended school in Belle Côte until grade four. Her parents then suggested that she leave her studies to work at the lobster canning factory in Margaree Harbour. She worked as a manual labourer at the factory each spring for three years.
She later moved to Halifax, where she found work as a cook, parlour maid, butler, valet and kitchen maid in various family homes and at the Queens Hotel. On November 25, 1935, she married her husband Henry. Six years later, Lucy and Henry left Halifax for Belle Côte with their two children, Florence and Daniel, where they would spend the rest of their lives together.
Lucy had a lifelong passion for music. While attending the Belle Côte school, she learned many traditional French, English and Irish songs from a teacher. In her later years, Lucy remembered many of these songs and willingly shared them with individuals interested in preserving this part of Cape Breton’s music history. She passed away at the age of 96 on March 15, 2005.
These rare audio recordings of Lucy Doucet found on this website will help future generations understand and appreciate the rich history of Acadian music.
Lyrics
Adieu, Papa
1. Adieu, Papa, adieu ma chère Maman;
Je vais partir c’est pour longtemps.
Si mon voyage m’y coute,
C’est de m’éloigner de vous.
Adieu donc, charmante blonde,
Adieu petit coeur, adieu.
2. A peine rendu bien il a fallut monter
Dans les chantiers biens élongnés.
C’était d’y voir la place,
Comme s’a l’aire abondonné.
Ca prendrait un beau voyageur
Pour pouvoir y résister.
3. Par un dimanche, dans l’après-midi,
Je demande à mon associé:
O quittons donc la place
Pour abondonner l’ennui.
Il se rend donc au village;
Là, nous aurons du plaisir.
4. Mon associé m’y répond doucement:
Demain matin, nous partirons.
Nous sommes partis, sans doute,
Par un beau lundi matin.
Au milieu de la semaine
Nous avions le verre en main.
5. Petit oiseau que tu es donc heureux
De voltiger là où tu veux.
Si j’avais l’avantage,
De pouvoir prendre ma volée,
Sur les genoux de ma blonde,
Là j’irai m’y reposer.
6. C’est dans la ville en m’y promenant
Ma jolie blonde j’ai rencontré.
Elle m’a salué sans doute,
Comme son aire aquetumé;
Son aire fière son aire sévère
M’a dit qu’elle est mariée.
7. O si c’est vrai que tu est mariée,
Ton anneaux d’or montre moi le.
J’aurai dans ma mémoire,
Pour pendant plusieurs années,
Une blonde qui m’était si chère
A l’a bien su m’abondonner.