Poor Man’s Pudding
I wrote this song for a Xmas réveillon celebrated by a bunch of Quebecers in Sydney in 2013. It’s about the French Canadian dish pouding au chômeur which translates to poor man’s pudding. It’s full of maple syrup so it sure tastes good. I backed my friend Stephanie on guitar while she delivered a very bluesy rendition….
(Twelve bar blues, each line represents one bar)
I woke up this morning
With an ache in my heart
My lover has just left me
For my boss named Bart
Two days before Christmas
I ain’t got no job
Who cares about love
It just makes me sob
I’ve found a new friend
And his name is food
Sweet, sour or savoury
He all tastes good
(Chorus: played to the same 8 bar chord progression: IV, IV, I, I, IV, IV, V7, V7)
My favourite of all
A real sweet monsieur
Three times a day
Well, thank you sir
I mould him just right
In my baking dish
And then I add a touch
Of maple delish
Pouding au chomeur
That’s his name
My best friend now
Without any shame
Pouding au chomeur
A real cool dude
I want to stay unemployed
And play with food
Pouding au chomeur
A woman’s delight
My lover now
And every night
Pouding au chomeur
Swimming in syrup
Sends my sugar levels rising
Higher than Philip
(Alex stops playing and Stephanie says:)
“My ex-lover”
(Back to chorus on cue)
Pouding au chomeur
I admire his wit
I just want another
Little bit
Pouding au chomeur
A hip hop cat
Is there a chance
He’ll make me fat?
Pouding au chomeur
My unemployed guest
I always like to treat him
As the best
Pouding au chomeur
It should be law
That every woman finds him
In a Costco store
(Continue in Barbershop style up V7 chord)
Not Woolies or Coles
Or Aldi for sure
With real maple syrup
In the centre of the floor
Available to all
And not just the poor
(Back to chorus progression on cue)
Pouding au chomeur
I hope he’ll arrive
My stomach is empty
And I need to revive
Pouding au chomeur
Please get here sooner
Alex! Quick!
Become my crooner
(Alex sings up a dominant 7th chord)
Pouding au chomeur
Pouding au chomeur
Pouding au chomeur
Pouding au chomeur
(Stephanie speaks in a sexy, teasing voice similar to Marilyn Monroe)
Joyeaux Noel, Monsieur Chomeur
(Alex ends on a blues riff to applause)