I’ve had a ton of people asking me about the solo that I play with The Avett Brothers. It’s really a mash-up of two pieces of music from two different but very connected places, Quebec and Louisiana.
The first tune is called “Le Reel Du Pendu” or “The Hangman’s Reel” and was made famous by Jean Carignan:
I’ve been playing it since I was about 14, and when I was 25 I made an instructional video so others could learn to play it too:
The second tune is called “Les Barres De La Prison” or “The Bars of the Prison”. Here’s a great version from The Balfa Brothers:
Apparently I’ve been singing the second verse (There are more than what are in this video) with some modifications. The literal translation of what I’m singing is:
My dear old mother/Pray for your child/To save his soul/From the flames of hell/I’m condemned/For the rest of my life/Pray to save my soul/From the flames of hell/I say/oooooooooooooooooo/oooooooooooooooooooo.
A little dark, especially paired with a song about a hangman… Hmm… Perhaps I need to lighten it up! Lol
So now you know!