Jambalaya (On the Bayou)

"Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" is a song credited to American country music singer Hank Williams that was first released in 1952. Named for a Creole and Cajun dish, jambalaya, it spawned numerous cover versions and has since achieved popularity in a number of music genres.

1 Authorship
2 Theme
3 Cover versions
- 3.1 Carpenters cover version discography

[edit] Authorship

With a melody based on the Cajun song "Grand Texas", some sources, including All Music Guide, claim that the song was co-written by Williams and Moon Mullican, with Mullican uncredited but receiving ongoing royalties. Other sources^[who?] claim that this was one of several songs which Williams purchased from other writers; a practice that was relatively common in "show business" at the time.

Released in 1952, crediting Williams as the sole author, it was performed by Williams as a country song. It reached #1 on the U.S. country charts, and remains one of his most popular songs today.

[edit] Theme

Williams' song resembles "Grand Texas", a Cajun French song, in melody only. "Grand Texas" is a song about a lost love, a woman who left the singer to go with another man to "Big Texas". Jambalaya, alternately, is about life, parties and stereotypical food of Cajun cuisine. The song has a Cajun theme, possibly inspired by Williams' time with the Louisiana Hayride, though Louisiana Hayride was recorded in Shreveport, a city with very little Cajun cultural influence. Referenced within the song are such Cajun dishes as jambalaya, crawfish pie, and filé gumbo. Williams sings of "Yvonne" in the song, referring to her as my ma cher amio, which is considered poor Cajun French for "my dear" (redundantly Williams uses the word "my" before the French "ma"), and has caused some confusion among listeners, particularly given his pronunciation. The refrain "son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou" has become a well-recognized and often repeated phrase.^{[citation needed]}

Williams composed a sequel to the song from the female perspective, "I'm Yvonne (Of the Bayou)", with Jimmy Rule. It was not as popular. As with "Jambalaya" there is speculation that Williams may have purchased this song from Mullican.

Later researched by a member of Moon's family, a story emerged about how the song came about in the first place, and it was said that while visiting a small bar located just south of the Choupique Bayou and owned by Yvonne Little, the song Jambalaya referred to some truly wonderful times had there.

[edit] Cover versions

Sheet music of "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" with Jo Stafford on the cover

Another, even more popular at the time, version of the song was the 1952 cover version recorded by Jo Stafford, reaching #3 on the Billboard pop charts (and making the song well known to people other than country music fans). Mitch Miller had originally intended Jambalaya to be recorded by Jimmy Boyd for Columbia Records. Boyd turned the song down and Miller recorded it with Jo Stafford. Years later Jimmy Boyd did record it for Dot records. It was further popularized in a Rock'n'Roll version by Fats Domino.

Other artists who have performed the song include Jimmy Buffett, Jerry Lee Lewis, Emmylou Harris, who included it in her 1976 album Elite Hotel, Moon Mullican, The Carpenters, John Fogerty, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Brenda Lee, Harry Connick, Jr., Lucinda Williams, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Residents, Dolly Parton, Professor Longhair, The White Stripes, and Tommy Funderburk (appearing in the film Steel Magnolias), among many others. In India, Usha Iyer (now Usha Uthup) recorded a version in 1968 on the HMV label, that became the best selling song until then, by an Indian artist in English. International, translated or derived versions do exist at least in Dutch, French, Italian, Polish, German and Estonian. In 2005, two versions of Jambalaya surged in Mexican folk music, one by Banda Limon and the other from the Duranguense style group K-Paz de la Sierra. But in Mexican Banda music, the most famous cover version is by Los Felinos (which was also the first Mexican interpretation).