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Legend of the Parlangua Lyrics and MP3 by Cahoots - Clarence's info on Cajun Song
   

Legend of the Parlangua by Cahoots - Cajun Song:

The song "Legend of the Parlangua" was recorded by a Colorado based band names Cahoots. Cahoots recorded the legend of the parlanqua at Juniper Studios at Pine Colorado, just outside of Denver, in 1983. The Legend of the Parlangua song is on their first album called "In Cahoots". It's on track one, side one. The album is (c) 1983 AJC Records PO Box 20534 Denver, CO 80220.

Cahoots was a house band in Aurora Colorado in the mid-eighties. They played at a historic country music club called Four Seasons. The band was fronted by Lloyd Barnett, an talented songwriter and performer. His wife Annie backed him on vocals and did lead on several songs. The Cahoots band was comprised of Lloyd Barnett (bass, vocals and wrote most of the songs), Ann Marie Barnette (his wife and singer), Willy Angel (lead guitar), Mac Eisensohn (drums), Vaughn Meyer (keyboards) and a few others. The group broke up after recording the Legend of the Parlanqua.

Many people confuse this band with other similarly named groups. This is not the group named IN CAHOOTS based in England. Also, it is not the Cajun band named The Cahoots. (Legend of the Parlangua song was released in the 1983. The cajun band "Cahoots" didn't get together until 1997.)

Because the lyrics of the Legend of the Parlangua deal with the theme of the Louisiana Swamps, many people think it was recorded by a cajun band. However, it was actually recorded by a Colorado based band. Regardless, we cajuns have adopted the song and it is popular here in Louisiana.

The lyrics of Legend of the Parlangua are:

Down in the bayous of Louisiana,
Where the swamp moss grows on the back of your hand.
Papa set out from our one-room shack,
Said he went fishin' but he never came back.

And Mama said "Son, don't you ever go out
To Leroux swamp when the sun goes down.
Creature down there called the Parlangua,
He got your brother, now he's got your Pa.�

Chorus:
The Parlangua's the swamp boogie man
Half alligator and the other half man.
Son don't go when you hear the call:
Of the swamp water booger, the Parlangua.

I told my mama, "Gotta make things right,
Going huntin' down in Leroux swamp tonight.
The stories that the old men told to me,
You gotta stick it with a stick from a sweet gum tree."

A whippoorwill cried and I prayed to God,
Then I headed for the swamp in a cold gray fog.
Hours passed, it was drizzling' rain,
When I realized that I had lost my way.

Chorus

A chillin' fear inside of me
As I whittled off a stick from a sweet gum tree.
Spanish moss hanging all around,
Stoppin' to listen at every sound.

I stumbled and fell tangled up in vines,
Fear and panic shootin' through my mind.
Tried to rise and then I heard him scream:
The Parlangua standin' over me.

Down on the bayous of Lousiana,
Where the swamp moss grows on the back of your hand.
My mama lives alone in a one-room shack-
Her boy went huntin' but he never came back

Chorus, repeat

As far as I can tell, the Legend of the Parlangua song is no longer available commercially. An email for one of the band members is mlbb1 [type the at sign}] comcast.net

You can listen to the Legend of the Parlangua song in MP3 format at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhd0wOACwQg
https://www.myspace.com/incahoots1a

It was subsequently recorded by Rose in the Heather. They are out of Oregon or Washington state. https://www.shamrockgold.com/rose/music.html

This page is located at www.cajunradio.org/LegendoftheParlanguaCahootsCajun.html