Gary U.S. Bonds - Jole Blon

Jole Blon or Jolie Blonde is a traditional Cajun waltz, often called "the Cajun national anthem" because of the popularity it has in Cajun culture. The song was popularized on a nationwide scale by a series of renditions and references in late 1940s country songs. It has been the subject of occasional covers later in the 20th century by Cajun and classic country revival bands. McNeese State University adopted "Joli Blon" as their official fight song in 1970, having been a part of the university band's repertoire since 1951. It is played by the "Pride of McNeese" band upon scoring at athletic events. Some recent covers of the song have been made by Cajun revival and popular artists, though these have not enjoyed the same widespread popularity. The following are some of the artists who have covered "Jole Blon": The Balham Alligators Gary U.S. Bonds and Bruce Springsteen (Springsteen had originally recorded the song for his 1980 album, The River, but it was never released and he decided to re-record the song with Bonds for his 1981 album, Dedication). Subsequently, Springsteen has occasionally performed the song live. The Flatlanders Bayou Teche Band Joan Baez included a recording of the song on her 1970 album (I Live) One Day at a Time. Fiddlin' Frenchie Burke recorded the song as "Frenchie's Jole Blon" on his self-titled album in 1975. The Rosinators recorded it as ‘Joli Blon’ on their self-titled album in 2003.