I’ve been looking for the words to this song for, like, two years now.

Papa Noel by Brenda Lee. Written by someone named Roy Botkin. I picked this up on a collection called Christmas Belles from Rhino, and simply fell in love with it.

But give it a listen and you’ll see how hard it is to pick out the words.

Someone, finally, has got a transcription. It’s not quite right; I think there are some cajun-isms that don’t make a lot of sense phonetically. But it’s damned close, close enough that you could actually sing along with it and not utterly butcher it.

Here’s the thread on Mudcat.org where they’re working on it.

And below are the lyrics, with my corrections (and DN’s) on a couple things.

Hey Beau, let’s go and get pirogue and push-pole down the bayou,
I want to see the Christmas Tree, dance o- fais dodo.
Have a big time and cut a shine, where all will be gay-o
Oh, Santa Claus will come tonight, down on the bayou

Papa Noel will bring the bells and all will be gay-o
I’m gonna be at the Christmas tree with my ma chère ami-o
So ring the chimes, it’s Christmas time and pick the old banjo
Oh, Santa Claus will come tonight, down on the bayou

Instrumental interlude

See ma Nannan and ma Parrain, I know they’ll all be there-o,
See Ol’ Quelqu’un and Mamoun, Bébé and Jo-Jo,
See Jolivet oh my sweet pet and get me some sugar,
Oh, Santa Claus will come tonight, down on the bayou

So roll the rug, let’s kiss and hug and let’s all be gay-o,
A merry Christmas to you all and a happy bonne année-o
I’m gonna dance all through the night, ’til daylight with my babe-o,
Oh, Santa Claus will come tonight, down on the bayou

Instrumental interlude

Dionne wants a push-y-on, a pistolette and yo-yo,
My Jolivet, oh my sweet pet, Lord cher ami-o,
Oh Auntie Luce will cook the goose, and she will serve the gumbo,
Oh, Santa Claus will come tonight, down on the bayou

Papa Noel will bring the bells and all will be gay-o
I’m gonna be at the Christmas tree with my ma cher ami-o
So ring the chimes, it’s Christmas time and pick the old banjo
Oh, Santa Claus will come tonight, down on the bayou

If anyone can make any corrections or additions to that, let me know (Brutha Ray?) and I’ll post ’em on Mudcat. We’ll see if we can get it closer.

[ note – corrections by darkneuro in place – thanks baby! ]

I love this song…