Hippy Ti Yo (also spelled Hippy To Yo, Hip Et Taiau, Les Huppes Taiauts, Hippy-Ty-Yo, Hippy-Tai-Yo, Hippitiyo, Tayeaux Dog Tayeaux) is a traditional melody that was first recorded as ''Ils La Volet Mon Trancas'', sung by

Cajun music Cajun music (french: Musique cadienne), an emblematic music of Louisiana played by the Cajuns, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Although they are two separate genres, Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem w ...

ian Cleoma Breaux in 1934 in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

. The melody would later be adapted into many different songs throughout history.

Music

Origins

The song is an old tune about a mysterious creature, women or a couple of dogs, Hip and Taiaud, who prowl about stealing things off the farm, engendering the ire of the farmer which makes them return the items. Origin of the phrase is suggested to belong to the Cajuns of the Cajun prairies. In the film "American Patchwork", Alan Lomax makes a loose claim stating cowboys from Texas heard the phrase being used as they drove their cattle across the Cajun prairies to be sold in New Orleans. He makes the assumption that this phrase is the origins of the call "Whoopie Ti Yi Yo". Author Raymond E. Francois describes a different origin. The French word "Huppe", used colloquially, means ''clever'' while "taiaut" comes from the English shout ''tally-ho'', and refers to a hound dog, thus "clever hounds". The earliest recording of the song is believed to be a 1934 version sung by Cleoma Breaux and played by

Joe Falcon Joseph Falcón (September 28, 1900 – November 19, 1965) was an accordion player from southwest Louisiana, best known for producing the first recording of a Cajun song, " Allons à Lafayette," in 1928. He and his wife Cléoma Breaux left f ...

entitled "Ils La Volet Mon Trancas", recorded in

(Bluebird B-2191). Later that year, the

Breaux Brothers Breaux Frères or Breaux Brothers (Amédé on accordion, Ophé on guitar, and Cléopha on the fiddle), were Cajun musicians. They were the earliest to record the song " Jolie Blonde", under the title of " Ma Blonde Est Partie". Amédé Breaux w ...

would record the same melody as the tune "T'as vole mon chapeau" (Vocalion 02961). In 1962,

explains he picked up the song from black Creoles, one named Sidney Babineaux. The following year in 1935,

Leo Soileau Leo Soileau (January 19, 1904 – August 2, 1980) was one of the most prolific Cajun recording artists of the 1930s and 1940s, recording over 100 songs, which was a substantial amount considering the reluctance to record the music during its earl ...

and His Three Aces used the same melody for his song "Hackberry Hop" (Bluebird B-2086). The song refers to the town of

Hackberry, Louisiana Hackberry is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,261 at the 2010 census, down from 1,699 in 2000. The losses were due to extensive damage from hurricanes ...

which is located about 30 miles from

U.S. Route 90 U.S. Route 90 or U.S. Highway 90 (US 90) is an east–west major United States highway in the Southern United States. Despite the "0" in its route number, US 90 never was a full coast-to-coast route. With the exception of a short-lived ...

. Several years later, the familiar melody would appear in a 1953 rockabilly called "Route 90" by

Clarence Garlow Clarence Joseph Garlow (February 27, 1911July 24, 1986) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter who performed in the R&B, jump blues, Texas blues and cajun styles. He is best known for his recording of the song " Bon Ton Roula", which ...

on Flair Records (#1021). The melody is eerily similar in chord progression as well as in the vocal pattern. *''Ils La Volet Mon Trancas'
Listen (MP3)
Eventually, in 1962, Sidney Babineaux would record a similar-sounding melody entitled "Zydeco Sont Pas Sale".

Late 20th century and recent covers

* ''Hackberry Hop'',

Harry Choates Harry Henry Choates (December 26, 1922 – July 17, 1951) was an American Cajun music fiddler known as the "Fiddle King of Cajun Swing" and the "Godfather of Cajun music." The scholar Barry Jean Ancelet called Choates "undoubtedly the most popula ...

& His Melody Boys (1947) * ''Hippitiyo'', Hackberry Ramblers (1947) * ''Hippy Ti Yo'', Bobby Page And The Riff Raffs (1958) * ''Hippy Ti Yo'',

Doug Kershaw Douglas James Kershaw (born January 24, 1936) is an American fiddle player, singer and songwriter from Louisiana. Active since 1948, he began his career as part of the duo Rusty and Doug, along with his brother, Rusty Kershaw. He had an extens ...

(1973) * ''Hippy Ti Yo'',

Jimmy Newman Jimmy Yves Newman (August 29, 1927 – June 21, 2014), better known as Jimmy C. Newman (the C stands for Cajun), was an American country music and cajun singer-songwriter and long-time star of the Grand Ole Opry. Early life Newman was born ...

(1973) * ''Hip Et Taiau'',

Nathan Abshire Nathan Abshire (June 27, 1913 – May 13, 1981) was an American Cajun accordion player. His time in the U.S. Army inspired Abshire to write the crooner song "Service Blues", which the newspaper Daily World reported as "one of his most memorable ...

(1978)

References

Cajun folk songs Year of song unknown Songwriter unknown {{song-stub