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William Henry Drummond - When Albani Sang
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Was workin` away on de farm dere, wan
     morning not long ago,
Feexin` de fence for winter--`cos dat`s
     w`ere we got de snow!
W`en Jeremie Plouffe, ma neighbor, come
     over an` spik wit` me,
"Antoine, you will come on de city,
     for hear Ma-dam All-ba-nee?"

"W`at you mean?" I was sayin` right off, me,
     "Some woman was mak` de speech,
Or girl on de Hooraw Circus, doin` high
     kick an` screech?"
"Non--non," he is spikin`--"Excuse me,
     dat`s be Ma-dam All-ba-nee
Was leevin` down here on de contree, two
     mile `noder side Chambly.

"She`s jus` comin` over from Englan`, on
     steamboat arrive Kebeck,
Singin` on Lunnon an` Paree, an` havin`
     beeg tam, I expec`,
But no matter de moche she enjoy it, for
     travel all roun` de worl`,
Somet`ing on de heart bring her back here,
     for she was de Chambly girl.

"She never do not`ing but singin` an` makin`
     de beeg grande tour
An` travel on summer an` winter, so mus` be
     de firs` class for sure!
Ev`ryboddy I`m t`inkin` was know her, an` I
     also hear `noder t`ing,
She`s frien` on La Reine Victoria an` show
     her de way to sing!"

"Wall," I say, "you`re sure she is Chambly,
     w`at you call Ma-dam All-ba-nee?
Don`t know me dat nam` on de Canton--I hope
     you`re not fool wit` me?"
An` he say, "Lajeunesse, dey was call her,
     before she is come mariée,
But she`s takin` de nam` of her husban`--I
     s`pose dat`s de only way."

"C`est bon, mon ami," I was say me, "If I get
     t`roo de fence nex` day
An` she don`t want too moche on de monee den
     mebbe I see her play."
So I finish dat job on to-morrow, Jeremie he
     was helpin` me too,
An` I say, "Len` me t`ree dollar quickly for
     mak` de voyage wit` you."

Correc`--so we`re startin` nex` morning, an`
     arrive Montreal all right,
Buy dollar tiquette on de bureau, an` pass on
     de hall dat night.
Beeg crowd, wall! I bet you was dere too, all
     dress on some fancy dress,
De lady, I don`t say not`ing, but man`s all
     w`ite shirt an` no ves`.

Don`t matter, w`en ban` dey be ready, de foreman
     strek out wit` hees steek,
An` fiddle an` ev`ryt`ing else too, begin for
     play up de musique.
It`s fonny t`ing too dey was playin` don`t lak
     it mese`f at all,
I rader be lissen some jeeg, me, or w`at you call
     "Affer de ball."

An` I`m not feelin` very surprise den, w`en de
     crowd holler out, "Encore,"
For mak` all dem feller commencin` an` try leetle
     piece some more,
`Twas better wan` too, I be t`inkin`, but slow
     lak you`re goin` to die,
All de sam`, noboddy say not`ing, dat mean
     dey was satisfy.

Affer dat come de Grande piano, lak we got on
     Chambly Hotel,
She`s nice lookin` girl was play dat, so of
     course she`s go off purty well,
Den feller he`s ronne out an` sing some, it`s
     all about very fine moon,
Dat shine on Canal, ev`ry night too, I`m sorry
     I don`t know de tune.

Nex` t`ing I commence get excite, me, for I
     don`t see no great Ma-dam yet,
Too bad I was los all dat monee, an` too late
     for de raffle tiquette!
W`en jus` as I feel very sorry, for come all
     de way from Chambly,
Jeremie he was w`isper, "Tiens, Tiens, prenez
     garde, she`s comin` Ma-dam All-ba-nee!"

Ev`ryboddy seem glad w`en dey see her, come
     walkin` right down de platform,
An` way dey mak` noise on de han` den, w`y!
     it`s jus` lak de beeg tonder storm!
I`ll never see not`ing lak dat, me, no matter
     I travel de worl`,
An` Ma-dam, you t`ink it was scare her? Non,
     she laugh lak de Chambly girl!

Dere was young feller comin` behin` her, walk
     nice, comme un Cavalier,
An` before All-ba-nee she is ready an` piano
     get startin` for play,
De feller commence wit` hees singin`, more
     stronger dan all de res`,
I t`ink he`s got very bad manner, know not`ing
     at all politesse.

Ma-dam, I s`pose she get mad den, an` before
     anyboddy can spik,
She settle right down for mak` sing too, an`
     purty soon ketch heem up quick,
Den she`s kip it on gainin` an` gainin`, till
     de song it is tout finis,
An` w`en she is beatin` dat feller, Bagosh!
     I am proud Chambly!

I`m not very sorry at all, me, w`en de feller
     was ronnin` away,
An` man he`s come out wit` de piccolo, an`
     start heem right off for play,
For it`s kin` de musique I be fancy, Jeremie
     he is lak it also,
An` wan de bes` t`ing on dat ev`ning is man
     wit` de piccolo!

Den mebbe ten minute is passin`, Ma-dam she is
     comin` encore,
Dis tam all alone on de platform, dat feller
     don`t show up no more,
An` w`en she start off on de singin` Jeremie say,
     "Antoine, dat`s Français,"
Dis give us more pleasure, I tole you, `cos w`y?
     We`re de pure Canayen!

Dat song I will never forget me, `twas song of
     de leetle bird,
W`en he`s fly from it`s nes` on de tree top,
     `fore res` of de worl` get stirred,
Ma-dam she was tole us about it, den start off
     so quiet an` low,
An` sing lak de bird on de morning, de poor
     leetle small oiseau.

I `member wan tam I be sleepin` jus` onder some
     beeg pine tree
An song of de robin wak` me, but robin he
     don`t see me,
Dere`s not`ing for scarin` dat bird dere, he`s
     feel all alone on de worl`,
Wall! Ma-dam she mus` lissen lak dat too, w`en
     she was de Chambly girl!

Cos how could she sing dat nice chanson, de sam`
     as de bird I was hear,
Till I see it de maple an` pine tree an` Richelieu
     ronnin` near,
Again I`m de leetle feller, lak young colt upon
     de spring
Dat`s jus` on de way I was feel, me, w`en Ma-dam
     All-ba-nee is sing!

An` affer de song it is finish, an` crowd is mak`
     noise wit` its han`,
I s`pose dey be t`inkin` I`m crazy, dat mebbe
     I don`t onderstan`,
Cos I`m set on de chair very quiet, mese`f an`
     poor Jeremie,
An` I see dat hees eye it was cry too, jus` sam`
     way it go wit` me.

Dere`s rosebush outside on our garden, ev`ry spring
     it has got new nes`,
But only wan bluebird is buil` dere, I know her
     from all de res`,
An` no matter de far she be flyin` away on
     de winter tam,
Back to her own leetle rosebush she`s comin
     dere jus` de sam`.

We`re not de beeg place on our Canton, mebbe
     cole on de winter, too,
But de heart`s "Canayen" on our body, an`
     dat`s warm enough for true!
An` w`en All-ba-nee was got lonesome for
     travel all roun` de worl`
I hope she `ll come home, lak de bluebird,
     an` again be de Chambly girl!
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