Folk Songs

This children’s song contains a sad story of lost love. It is said to have been sung by Champlain’s men as early s 1608. This folk song has multiple versions with different melodies due to its popularity in France, Belgium, and Canada.

Madame Bolduc was known as the “Queen of Canadian folk singers” in the 1930s. This is a very recent addition to French Canadian folk song repertoire which captures a spirit of resilience in the face difficult times.

Originating from 15th century France, this working song was used to keep spirits up during long canoe trips. It tells the story of meeting three beautiful ladies on a rowing trip. Many variants of this melody have been developed over time.

The lyrics of this folk song focus largely on describing the sounds heard by mill workers. It is highly rhythmic due to the repetition of “tique tique taque”, which represents to clicks and grinds of the machinery. The remaining lyrics are quite nonsensical.

This French love song dates back as far as the 14th century. It contains vivid romantic imagery of a beautiful garden filled with flowers in which the speaker’s love is enclosed. They hear the sweet song of the nightingale at dusk and dawn.

While the name of the original tune of this melody is widely debated, it is certain that the text was created by Antoine Gérin-Lajoie in 1842. In the text, a young exiled Canadian asks the river to tell his friends that he did not want to leave his home and will think of it until his dying days.

The verses and chorus of this song tell quite opposing stories. While the chorus cheerfully describes the strength of the wind, the verses tell the unfortunate tale of a duck being hunted and killed by the king’s son.