Living Rootless: Lafayette: The Walmart Cajun Aisle

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Lafayette: The Walmart Cajun Aisle

Walmart's cajun aisle, Lafayette, Louisiana

In Alamogordo, a grocery store had the German section, in recognition of the members of the German Air Force and their families who lived in the area.

Walmart's cajun aisle, Lafayette, Louisiana

Here in Lafayette, Walmart has its cajun section.

Walmart's cajun aisle, Lafayette, Louisiana

I hadn't heard of the "crawfish pie" before. Ahhh, in looking it up, I guess I've heard of it, but didn't know what it was. Here's the classic Hank Williams song, Jambalaya, which references crawfish pie:

Lyrics:

Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and file gumbo
Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou

Thibodaux Fontaineaux the place is buzzin'
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style and go hog wild me oh my oh
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
Settle down far from town get me a pirogue
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie...

Later on, swap my mon, get me a pirogue
and I'll catch all the fish on the bayou
Swap my mon, to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie...

In my still-very-limited understanding of things here, I can tell you these hints about the above lyrics:

Pirogue (a boat) - pronounce it as: PEE-row.
Fill fruit jar - referencing moonshine in a jar, hence the subsequent gaiety

But I had to look these up:

Swap my mon --> Barter my things (my personal belongings or my in-kind catch such as crawfish, crabs, fish).
File gumbo --> gumbo spiced with sassafras (filé) -=> FEE lay