Seán Dagher's Shanty of the Week 34 Boney Jean-François

[@armandgrizzli]

I'll always remember the evenings spent in a tavern in Groix island, in Britanny. We'd split the room in half and the left half would sing "Ouééé, ouéé, ouééé !" while the right half would sing "Jean-François !". Thus we competed to see which half sang louder than the other! That's really cool to see that shanty on your channel, many, many thanks from Nantes!

[@SeanDagher]

Ha! I love that story. A shanty-off! One of my best musical moments was in Paimpol, singing in the musicians' cafeteria. Similar vibe to what you are describing.

[@JimBob4233]

The English translation of 'Asterix in Corsica' has the name of the main Corsican character as 'Boneywasawarriorwayayix,' and now I get the joke

[@SeanDagher]

That's amazing. I love that story. Thanks for sharing. Those Asterix names are often so clever.

[@hroudos]

Perfect again. I would love to see behind the scenes. 👍❤️

[@SeanDagher]

There's a bunch of behind the scenes stuff on my Blood Red Roses video.

[@henrichgerken4254]

Jsem rád, že víc lidí z Česka našlo tenhle kanál :)))

[@pikablob]

I learned the English version of this at school when I was just a kid! Somehow it never occured to me that it was a sea shanty! XD Keep up the great work!

[@SeanDagher]

Neat that you learned it in school.

[@DanielKellyFolkMusic]

Great to see you on the Shanty Show Sean! I used your recording here as a reference for my recording of the shanty Cicely Fox Smith wrote back in 1926 based on this one, to try and stop the scuttling of HMS Implacable.

[@SeanDagher]

Sounds like an interesting project. How can I hear that?

[@DanielKellyFolkMusic]

@@SeanDagher here is the recording, kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2KudHqkaLd1b5Y

[@SeanDagher]

@@DanielKellyFolkMusic Beautiful!

[@nico40820]

Quelle vie ce Jean François !

[@SeanDagher]

Et il y a d'autres couplets encore plus intriguant, mais pas approprié dans ce contexte. Plus fin de soirée.

[@vikingseagull2575]

I never heard a shanty with french and english sang together. Great singing!

[@LarboardAnimations9660]

know one called Santiano by The Longest Johns and SKÁLD

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks VS. Neither have I, actually.

[@vikingseagull2575]

@@LarboardAnimations9660 I forgot about that one. I thought it was all in french, for some reason.

[@henrichgerken4254]

@@LarboardAnimations9660 i absolutely love this one

[@LarboardAnimations9660]

@@henrichgerken4254 yeah me too.

[@FaerieMaya]

Yesss! Seán, you are out here representing those of us with québécois accents and I love it!

[@SeanDagher]

La vraie langue de Molière.

[@Spineless-Lobster]

Listening to this just before my French class! What a way to warm up!

[@SeanDagher]

Parfait!

[@frh6668]

Très belle chanson! Ça fait du bien d’en entendre une en français!

[@SeanDagher]

Ça fait du bien d'en chanter une en français !

[@brasidasfilsdelalionne7515]

Ça fait vraiment plaisir de vous entendre chanter en français! Merci comme toujours Mr. Dagher !

[@SeanDagher]

De rien Brasidas. Ça me fait tant de plaisir de chanter en français.

[@monkeywritingshakespeare9744]

This trip's goin' long, bubby. No relief for a week. Right on time with the shanty!

[@SeanDagher]

This packet ship is on a tight schedule.

[@monkeywritingshakespeare9744]

@@SeanDagher On your album version of "Shallow Brown" when it goes "take me for a dollar, a great big spanish dollar"... I hate it and I love it. You hit the mood right on for getting on a boat to make decent money but leaving your loved ones to do it. Nailed the feelin' dead on. I hear it every time I pack my bags and look at my wee ones. I always meant to tell you thanks for that.

[@SeanDagher]

@@monkeywritingshakespeare9744 That's such a heavy tune. I always try to sing that line with the correct mix of anger and desperation.

[@monkeywritingshakespeare9744]

@@SeanDagher Well ya hit your aim. Hope your week is fair and fine.

[@monkeywritingshakespeare9744]

The width and breadth of your music is really impressive, hoss. I've learned a lot about the regional folk up your way thanks to ya. The continuation of old tunes is pure human magic. Ya ever dive into Appalachian folk? It struck me when you mentioned the French Canadian dialect being closer to Napoleonic era French in pronunciation. Down here it's the same with English. Collecting old songs from the old fellers is almost drawn out and we're turning into the old fellers. Oh! There's a really eclectic musician up your way name of Peter Pringle. Ya oughtta check him out when ya get a minute or three. Well wa-hey til next week.

[@gabee3343]

this is amazing! i'm so glad that people are still keeping these old songs alive. Sean will always be my favorite shanty singer.

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Gabe. That's nice of you.

[@LeJambonMAMEPG]

C'est super de t'entendre chanter en Français, ça change de d'habitude !! Keep up the good work, always a pleasure to hear the Shanty of the Week 👌🏻👍🏻

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Hammy.

[@fernando47180]

Well, would you look at this. I just found your "shanty of the week" playlist about fifteen minutes ago, and got a little sad thinking you had stopped uploading three months ago after Shanty of the week #21, and now I notice that you are still here! Thanks a lot for helping me and everyone else here discover this wonderful musical pieces! If it's not a lot to ask, could you put the "Shanty of the week" playlist up to date? Who knows how much people have missed your most recent videos because they weren't in the playlist, I know I almost did!

[@SeanDagher]

I'm glad you found the channel. I forgot about the playlist. I'll put it up to date.

[@fernando47180]

@@SeanDagher Thanks a lot

[@matejlieskovsky9625]

@@SeanDagher I know I'm nitpicking, but it seems like the order of the playlist got scrambled. Thanks for all the shantys!

[@SeanDagher]

@@matejlieskovsky9625 I'm probably never going to go put them in order.

[@matejlieskovsky9625]

@@SeanDagher Ah, fair enough. :D On a far less serious note, listening to your shanties while I work is great, but your written remarks regarding the lyrics are *very* distracting. And absolutely hillarious! Thanks again and have a nice day!

[@BardofCornwall]

Nice work, Sean!

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Jesse.

[@gregthomas5044]

Absolutely loved this mate. Really refreshing to see you outside and having changed things up. Love your subject knowledge, attitude and personality and of course, your singing. Keep up the good work chap. Greg, 34 from Wales but living in England near Harwich.

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Greg. I'm glad you like the whole thing. Harwich, big sea song festival, no?

[@gregthomas5044]

@@SeanDagher Yeah, 8th-10th October. Please please please tell me you’re going to be there?? 😃

[@SeanDagher]

@@gregthomas5044 Well, not this year, I don't think. But soon enough.

[@RainyCarnival]

Just earlier today, my music teacher was showing me one of her friends who happened to play music with you. It’s a small world.

[@SeanDagher]

Who is your teacher and who is her friend?

[@RainyCarnival]

@@SeanDagher I don’t remember her friend’s name but hers is Fannie Gaudette. You play with him in an irish bar I think in Montreal, he plays the fiddle.

[@bigdawg215]

Great shanties and love the background!

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Dawg.

[@1headphoneguy]

Very clever mixing both English and French into the lyrics and a nice touch standing on the shore of the Saint Lawrence!

[@SeanDagher]

Well I couldn't decide which version to do.

[@obamacircle2486]

Amazing song and I love the background

[@SeanDagher]

Nice spot, eh?

[@obamacircle2486]

@@SeanDagher definitely

[@pandito46]

Great shanty! Would love to see more shanties like this. See you next week!

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks. There'll probably be more like this.

[@ZivableToAll]

You are Sean, the shanty shinger! You are awesome!

[@SeanDagher]

I am he. Thanks.

[@astron33r67]

That rolled R at the end gave me shivers!

[@SeanDagher]

Cool! I much prefer ending songs with a blammo than just with the end of the note. I'm glad it has an effect.

[@isaokanai]

this one is very new to me and i love it! thanks as always!!

[@SeanDagher]

I'm glad you like it.

[@ducttapeshoeus6107]

A really cool different type of shanty! A shame I was asleep when this video dropped haha

[@SeanDagher]

Good thing it's still here now that you're awake.

[@squidlymedic]

Why do I like sea shanties so much?

[@SeanDagher]

Because you are right.

[@rimurutempest5377]

Because they're high quality tunes.

[@Erics_Youtube_Handle]

Love this song, always wondered what the backstory with the Jean-Francois refrain was. Seán, if you happen to see this, curious if the "boués" part of the French refrain is literally just "oh my boys" and whether it was basically lifted as a phrase from English?

[@SeanDagher]

I think it is a borrowed English phrase, as you suggest. The French word for 'buoy" is spelled "bouée" so maybe that has an influence as well.

[@Erics_Youtube_Handle]

@@SeanDagher Cool, thank you, as always!

[@mmereddick]

@@SeanDagher that was my research as well.

[@erycdamaso_613]

I believe, actually, it means "my bullies", IE: "Row, me bully boys row", or "heave away, me bullies". "Mes bouées", is a stolen word, so, I could be wrong.

[@AbdelrahmanMomen--]

Perfect as always

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks! Merci! Shukran!

[@HistoryBoy]

I love this song, and just so happens that I am posting my list video “20 Greatest Shanties and Naval Songs of the Civil War” on May 1st! It contains this song sung by the 97th Regimental String-band. They do a wonderful job as you have done as well sir!

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks! And that's a great piece of history right there.

[@jamesbaker8831]

May 5th 2021 will be the 200th anniversary of Napoleon's death. This was well timed

[@SeanDagher]

Oh! I should have waited an extra week.

[@Kelly_Grey]

Shanty of the Week on location! Love it. Really liked the mix of French and English. Thank you for adding the English translation for the French parts. Edit: I never knew there was a ship named Bellerophon, after the Greek myth. Half of the joy of your channel is the singing and the other half is learning interesting tidbits.

[@SeanDagher]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Bellerophon_(1786)

[@Kelly_Grey]

@@SeanDagher thank you. Admittedly, I am not very knowledgeable about the Napoleonic wars.

[@icggames1236]

Awesome, I listen to your shanties everyday while playing Assassin’s Creed Black Flag and Rogue.

[@SeanDagher]

Nice. I have great memories of singing for those games.

[@icggames1236]

@@SeanDagher Leave her Johnny is my favorite, I cry every time I hear it, your voice is amazing, you are very talented.

[@peter4210]

Moscow was in ruins, Napoleon found the city deserted. The Russians before retreating with the citizens had let loose prisoners with the order to set the city on fire. The french managed to catch and execute many but the blaze was set and quite a large part of Moscow was burnt. I think the damage was high enough after the fire that there were not enough houses to garrison the french army. After the fire, the french looted what was left. The scorched earth policy had left the french relying on their thin and long supply line stretching all the way to the border. For it's time Napoleon had accomplish a feet of military logistic but it was still not enough, He had already lost a large part of his army getting there, leaving him outnumbered and he would lose the rest of his army on the retreat. I think the numbers are like 2 in 12 men made it out of Russia, most dying from sickness , heat and cold on a army over 500 thousand strong. The worst military disaster until ww1.

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Peter. I realize that I meant to put "No" on the earlier verse where we sing that Boney beat the Austrians and Russians. I really appreciate the history you provide.

[@peter4210]

@@SeanDagher There is a channel called Epic History TV who did a very long set of videos on the Napoleonic war. Contrary to what the name of the channel suggest they are quite well produces, to my opinion, even better then what you find on television documentary. He produced hours if not days of content on the war, mostly around napoleon. I suggest not watching them before bed if you like history because they average around 30 min each video and if you lose track of time, you might go to sleep as the birds wake up. I also think boney did beat the Austrians and the Russian if you are chronologically before Moscow. He was pretty much unstoppable until the massive blunder that was rushing to Moscow and staying there until early winter. It was not even the Russian capital at the time. After that it was all downhill except for one or two victories.

[@darrianweathington1923]

Moral of the story.. DONT GO TO WAR IN THE SNOW!!!

[@mmereddick]

The Alberni kids couldn't wait for your new sea shanty!

[@SeanDagher]

PA represent!

[@ivantyulyandin2544]

Nice song, Sean! Waiting for more shanties! I have some words about "Moscow was in ruins then". Actually, it was. After the Borodino battle, the Russian army left Moscow. It was a hard decision for Mikhail Kutuzov, who was the main general of the army. There were two options for Kutuzov: leave Moscow and save/regroup the army, or stay in Moscow and have one more hard fight with great losses. Then the French army entered the city. As far as I know, there is no exact historical information, who started the fire, maybe it was French soldiers or Russian citizens, who stayed in the city. Nevertheless, 3/4 of Moscow was destroyed, since most of the buildings were made of wood. According to the English Wiki "Fire of Moscow(1812)" it was Count Rostopchin who started the fire. On the Russian Wiki Rostopchin is also mentioned as a possible fire-raiser, but the official version of the Russian Emperor that fire was started by the French army. I think that we will never know, who started the fire because of the lack of information and historical sources.

[@SeanDagher]

Hey! Thanks so much for the info. I appreciate it a lot. I also love these kinds of stories that have no definite absolute truth. I should have read more about this before simply putting "No."

[@krist2569]

Perfection 👍

[@SeanDagher]

Well thank! That's high praise.

[@jarrythskeen8336]

Very fun

[@SeanDagher]

I did have fun.

[@Jam0kid]

Yes! My favourite shanty!! :D

[@SeanDagher]

I'm glad you like it. I certainly do as well.

[@yungstunnagaming5500]

That was really great!

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks EON.

[@benspiller455]

Sensational!

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Ben.

[@cardapollo2657]

Thank you for making this. This week has been shit I asked a girl out she declined not even letting me explain why I like her she also won't explain why she declined. Then her friends are fucking direct messaging me calling me obsessive because she tried to flirt with my best friend and I got pissed because she only did it to make me lonely. It's even worse with fact I sit next to her on Science. Shanty of the week is actually making me happy even though Everybody in my school is going to hate me except my friends.

[@SeanDagher]

Hey Card. Sounds like a difficult situation. I'm glad that the SOTW is helping you out. It's amazing how music can do that. I have a couple of thoughts about your situation. It sounds like you have a group of friends who won't hate you, so I don't think the girl is going to make you lonely. As for the explanation, I think you're better off not having to explain the whole thing to her once she's declined. She certainly doesn't owe you an explanation, and again, I'm not sure that hearing it would make you feel any better. I hope you feel better soon and that the whole school moves on to some other situation so you can concentrate on hollering shanties. Let me know how you get on. Seán.

[@cardapollo2657]

@@SeanDagher ok thank you that made my day

[@cardapollo2657]

I just apologized to her on Snapchat for getting pissed then I deleted Snapchat so yea I feel much better

[@SeanDagher]

@@cardapollo2657 Hey man, good job moving on. I think you will have a better time.

[@cardapollo2657]

@@SeanDagher I hope so too

[@juliebenoit7123]

Du français! So cooool!

[@SeanDagher]

Oui, et d'autres en français s'en viennent.

[@lucmondet9491]

Génial je cherchais de quoi illustrer mon cours sur Napoléon... mais je n'ai pas compris pourquoi Bonaparte est un terrier... Do not understand "Boney was a terrier". Un Languedocien égaré.

[@abbiebooker8039]

En Angleterre, Bonaparte a la réputation d'être petit et vicieux comme un chien terrier! Je sais que ce n'est pas vrai qu'il était petit - mais c'est ce que nous nous disons tous ici. Je pense que le parole peuvent faire référence à cela.

[@nippey2]

What a fantastic shanty Sean, well done flipping between 2 languages!! Do you perform many non English shanties live at all?

[@SeanDagher]

I usually do a few French ones. I really want to add some Swedish and Dutch ones.

[@memoherrera5252]

Youre awesome!! Plis sing william Taylor

[@SeanDagher]

Yes, it'll be in the sea songs series.

[@NINJAoxz.]

Do you use sheet music for all of these shanties? And if so is their anywhere to get it? Been wanting to get my choir to sing shanties and I've finally gotten through with it because of the big resergance of shanties recently. Also thank you for teaching me shanties facts and new songs!

[@SeanDagher]

I write my own vocal arrangements of these songs. They will be available when I publish the book.

[@gooby2065]

This song is used in the game Skull and Bones that just released and your version is super similar to it.

[@SeanDagher]

That’s because I sang the version in the game.

[@gooby2065]

@@SeanDagher that’s so cool! It’s my favorite shanty in the game. Glad I found you so I can listen to the full version.

[@c4rpy]

That’s a really nice place! Where is it?

[@SeanDagher]

Ste. Anne de Bellevue, at the western tip of the island of Montreal. Looking across Lac St. Louis.

[@cornichexoxo7025]

Nice video king

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks! King, eh? I'll take it.

[@canadagaming422]

Suns you in Canada you shud do Barrett priviters

[@SeanDagher]

Great song.

[@PrinceApollo117]

Thanks, Sean! I need some strength to Fight Governor Torres in Black Flag!

[@SeanDagher]

I try my best to bestow strength upon you.

[@erycdamaso_613]

Y'a tu une chance qu'on entendrais plus de chanties en français? Other than "Oestie de crisse de tabarnak", of course.

[@SeanDagher]

Y'en a une autre qui sort vendredi dans la série "Special Guest Artist."

[@erycdamaso_613]

Ooooh, j'ai hâte.

[@canadagaming422]

Good vid m8

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks!

[@marcinzarod6612]

The close up on Prussia part is misleading. Majority of the map is contemporary western part of Poland, not a modern Germany. Poznań had always been rebelious (and successful), Śląsk / Schliesen and Pomorze / Pommern were always a mixed-nation borderlands. It wouldn't be a big problem, if not for Pomorze. As it is only region for Polish and Kaszebe shanties and fishing songs. By blending it with Germany you are missing two Baltic-seasongs regions!

[@SeanDagher]

Hi Marcin. I'm very sorry to have glossed over the distinctions. I meant no disrespect. I would hate to miss out on Baltic sea regions. My great-grandfather captained ships there. Also, some of the greatest shanty choir renditions I have heard lately are in Polish. Please accept my apologies. Seán.

[@franciosdeaeruiu7555]

"Britain, a sort of western outpost of france" lol pretty sure both people take offense to that. Good one

[@SeanDagher]

I love that line.

[@Burvedys]

I should adapt it to Lithuanian as well... :)

[@SeanDagher]

You should! I'm sure there are Lithuanian shanties, even if they're translations. My great-grandfather was a Baltic Sea captain, from Scotland.

[@Burvedys]

@@SeanDagher : if his name was John Mason, so he was the very first in current Klaipeda then... ;) And I made quite a few adaptations of shanties and sea songs into Lithuanian (as could be found there: skipperltu.wordpress.com/tag/shanty/ )

[@SeanDagher]

@@Burvedys His name was William Wright.

[@Burvedys]

@@SeanDagher : I wander what ports and years he was here. :)

[@getefix3]

your French accent sounds very much like Quebecois and I appreciate that :D

[@SeanDagher]

Well, I was born here and live here so I can sound pretty local.

[@getefix3]

@@SeanDagher that's awesome! I share something with one of my favourite musicians :) (though I moved to the UK when I was little so my French isn't that great)

[@wont_judge6746]

ik it sounds a little picky but Jean François is actually pronounced Jean Fran-swah not Jean Fran-swey.

[@SeanDagher]

In modern French from France it is pronounced Fran-swah. In 18th century French AND in the dialect that we speak here in North America it is pronounced Fran-swey. Of course, on TV and in school people pronounce it the French way, but in the streets, especially in my neighbourhood, it's mostly -swey. You'll notice that the word "yes" in the first refrain is pronounced "wey" rather than "we." It's the same phenomenon. Louis XIV is famously purported to have said, "Le Roué c'est moué," despite how it is spelled. And if you think about it, "moué" is much closer to the IPA value of the spelling "moi" than is "mwah." I think the modern Parisian pronunciation must have developed in the 19th century. So, your nit-pick is not really too nit-picky, just wrong.

[@wont_judge6746]

@@SeanDagher i didn’t know that, atleast in school the çois is swah but maybe i don’t know about your neighbourhood but maybe but smashing the english language and french language in one area or all of north america it might have made it turn out sweh or it could be just sailor slang or just slang. but i’m not that experienced nor have the knowledge that your possess so i probably am wrong. though it does truly sound like an english or slang way to say François. nor do i live close to anyone i can use what i’m taught in school so i guess i wouldn’t know.

[@SeanDagher]

@@wont_judge6746 In Québec, where I live, this is standard informal pronunciation. Obviously, schools try to get kids NOT to talk like that, but this is the real accent. Check out this song sung by Michel Faubert. In the first line he pronounces "doit" as "doué" and "apercevoir" as "apercevouér" and so on. There is no way a sailor in the time of Napoleon would have pronounced "François" as "Franswah."

[@lenamoser3888]

@@wont_judge6746 Seán obviously knows what he is talking about. If you are still not satisfied unless you can look it up somewhere "official", Mireille Huchon, a philology professor at the Sorbonne, discusses the transition from /we/ to /wa/ in her book Histoire de la langue française (2002). It's exactly as Seán says.

[@johnfoy6590]

got here early lets goooo!

[@SeanDagher]

Let's go!!!

[@tiberiusvx42ye13]

you have very good french.

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks. I live in Montréal so I speak it all day every day.

[@tiberiusvx42ye13]

@@SeanDagher OHHH that explains it 😂

[@basaradono]

Your old French pronounciation is pretty good.

[@SeanDagher]

Thanks Coq. A lot of it is just how we speak French around here still.

[@basaradono]

@@SeanDagher D'où êtes-vous ? Par curiosité.

[@SeanDagher]

@@basaradono Je suis à Montréal !

[@destroyingheal3968]

Wait, do you speak in french for real?!

[@SeanDagher]

I sure do. I live in Montréal and most of my dealings with the outside world are in French all day every day. We speak English in our family but my kids go to French schools and all of their friends are 100% francophone. I really love to sing in French, maybe even more than in English.

[@destroyingheal3968]

@@SeanDagher WHOA!! I never thought you were from Québec!! I'm from here too!! I'm flabbergasted to know that Sean Dagher is closer than I thought he were-

[@SeanDagher]

@@destroyingheal3968 Mais tu restes où, donc ?

[@Ghoststrikes]

+1 de Montréal ici, merci pour tes chansons Sean, ça ajoute du Soleil à nos semaines!

[@destroyingheal3968]

@@SeanDagher Rive sud!

[@dipantaramaqdis3805]

woah another language

[@SeanDagher]

Yes. French and English are my co-first languages.