How do you pronounce Baton Rouge? (part 2)
Footnote to the previous entry: It was odd to cross the Mississippi River without also crossing a state line.
Now to continue into the swamp!
I really wondered whether my navigator had fallen into some kind of trance sending me through what looked like new housing construction in soon-to-be suburbs instead of sending me to Lake Martin. But after I got there, it did seem to have taken me on the most direct route, I just didn't expect the big new houses along the way. This is more like what I expected, and I did eventually get to the dirt road and the old shack:
The restroom was clean, but had some interesting features, including a spatula and a sharp folding knife drying on a ledge near the sink:
I loved the swamp tour. One of the other tourists has been on several swamp tours and thinks that Lake Martin is the best. I don't know about that, but I can say it was wonderful. It's unlike anywhere I've been before and felt magical to me. Here are a couple of photos and videos. The bigger the screen you use the better, because the beauty is in the details.
I did see more alligators, but they don't show up well in the photos because they were camouflaging themselves. Here's one anyway, so you can see what I mean:
That thing that looks like a log floating in the middle is an alligator.
Now for the videos. The first one shows the difference between tupelo and cypress trees: https://youtu.be/g1xvCEwOvPU This time of year the trees all look kind of similar, but tupelo trees have smoother trunks.
This one shows the view changing as the boat glides through the swamp: https://youtu.be/VQbF9I3Vn5o In the second segment, the grunting/oinking noises are coming from the cormorants.
Now finally back to pronouncing Baton Rouge. For context, listen to this demonstration: https://youtu.be/0TxJt-7kBM0. Of course I've heard it pronounced the American way (as per the demo). I've also heard it more like what they're calling the British way, which seems pretty close to how the French would say it. Where did I hear it like that? In an old favorite song of mine, "Down at the Twist and Shout" by Mary Chapin Carpenter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuapCENFM2U It's a country-pop song with strong Cajun music influences and in the lyrics she calls out a few Cajun traditions and bands. I had fun pulling up the lyrics to the song and looking up the things I didn't know:
Oh, and in "Down at the Twist and Shout" Mary Chapin Carpenter pronounces Louisiana "Looz-ee-ann" as did the docent at the rural living museum I mentioned in the previous post. Here are all the lyrics to the song. If you're not interested, no need to flip to the bottom -- there's no more of my writing after this.
Now to continue into the swamp!
I really wondered whether my navigator had fallen into some kind of trance sending me through what looked like new housing construction in soon-to-be suburbs instead of sending me to Lake Martin. But after I got there, it did seem to have taken me on the most direct route, I just didn't expect the big new houses along the way. This is more like what I expected, and I did eventually get to the dirt road and the old shack:
The restroom was clean, but had some interesting features, including a spatula and a sharp folding knife drying on a ledge near the sink:
I loved the swamp tour. One of the other tourists has been on several swamp tours and thinks that Lake Martin is the best. I don't know about that, but I can say it was wonderful. It's unlike anywhere I've been before and felt magical to me. Here are a couple of photos and videos. The bigger the screen you use the better, because the beauty is in the details.
I did see more alligators, but they don't show up well in the photos because they were camouflaging themselves. Here's one anyway, so you can see what I mean:
That thing that looks like a log floating in the middle is an alligator.
Now for the videos. The first one shows the difference between tupelo and cypress trees: https://youtu.be/g1xvCEwOvPU This time of year the trees all look kind of similar, but tupelo trees have smoother trunks.
This one shows the view changing as the boat glides through the swamp: https://youtu.be/VQbF9I3Vn5o In the second segment, the grunting/oinking noises are coming from the cormorants.
Now finally back to pronouncing Baton Rouge. For context, listen to this demonstration: https://youtu.be/0TxJt-7kBM0. Of course I've heard it pronounced the American way (as per the demo). I've also heard it more like what they're calling the British way, which seems pretty close to how the French would say it. Where did I hear it like that? In an old favorite song of mine, "Down at the Twist and Shout" by Mary Chapin Carpenter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuapCENFM2U It's a country-pop song with strong Cajun music influences and in the lyrics she calls out a few Cajun traditions and bands. I had fun pulling up the lyrics to the song and looking up the things I didn't know:
- Fais do-do: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fais_do-do Fais do-do is something a French mother would say to her children to encourage them to go to sleep quickly so that she can get back to the dance before her husband finds someone else to dance with, and the dances took on that name.
- Jolie Blon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGmwnkVegZg In the mood for some real Cajun music? I had fun watching a performance of that song (Pretty Blonde).
- Beausoleil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maPmdchIG90 Same here as Jolie Blon, only Beausoleil (beautiful sun) is the name of the band not the song.
Oh, and in "Down at the Twist and Shout" Mary Chapin Carpenter pronounces Louisiana "Looz-ee-ann" as did the docent at the rural living museum I mentioned in the previous post. Here are all the lyrics to the song. If you're not interested, no need to flip to the bottom -- there's no more of my writing after this.
"Down At The Twist And Shout"
Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout
Find a two-step partner and a Cajun beat
When it lifts me up I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle wanna beg for more
Gonna dance to a band from a-Lou'sian' tonight
Well I never have wandered down to New Orleans
Never have drifted down a bayou stream
But I heard that music on the radio
And I swore some day I was gonna go
Down Highway 10 past Lafayette
To Baton Rouge and I won't forget
To send you a card with my regrets
'Cause I'm never gonna come back home
Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout
Find a two-step partner and a Cajun beat
When it lifts me up I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle wanna beg for more
Gonna dance to a band from a-Lou'sian' tonight
They got a alligator stew and a crawfish pie
A gulf storm blowin' into town tonight
Livin on the delta's quite a show
They got hurricane parties every time it blows
And here up north it's a cold cold rain
And there ain't no cure for my blues today
Except when the paper says: Beausoleil is coming into town
Baby let's go down
Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout
Find a two-step partner and a Cajun beat
When it lifts me up I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle wanna beg for more
Gonna dance to a band from a-Lou'sian' tonight
Bring your mama, bring your papa, bring your sister too
They got lots of music and lots of room
When they play you a waltz from 1910
You gonna feel a little bit young again
Well you learned to dance with your rock'n'roll
You learned to swing with a do-si-do
But you learn to love at the fais-do-do
When you hear a little Jolie Blon
Saturday night and the moon is out
I wanna head on over to the Twist and Shout
Find a two-step partner and a Cajun beat
When it lifts me up I'm gonna find my feet
Out in the middle of a big dance floor
When I hear that fiddle wanna beg for more
Gonna dance to a band from a-Lou'sian' tonight
Writer: Mary Chapin Carpenter Copyright Sony/ATC Music
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