These Cowboys Fringants songs will go down in history

Quebec is in mourning following the death of Cowboys Fringeants singer Carl Tremblay. With more than 160 songs, Cowboys Frontiers have left their mark on many Quebecers thanks to the powerful messages conveyed through their songs.

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• Read more: “It was festive, Carl”: Carl-Tremblay’s place in L’Assumption

Here are four songs by Cowboys Fringes that make history:

1. A Bern

This song from the 2002 Break Syndical album marked the beginning of the Cowboys Fringe’s success. With its military and exotic rhythm, A Bern The political stance of cowboys fringes expresses a desire for Quebec sovereignty.

According to Donic Trottier, professor of musicology in the Department of Music at UQAM, “The song denounces a form of aflaventrism with a question of disillusionment with the dominant ideologies of the 1970s in Quebec society. The text can be described as “vitriolic”, he adds.

“We see Carl Tremblay’s talent, how he covers this song. I can’t see anyone else interpreting it,” he insists.

2. on my shoulder

This song from the album Les Antipodes brings to life a mix of emotions among Quebecers, with a more melancholic side. The story behind this song is full of love and compassion, two people coming together to support each other in their sadness. “Emotion comes spontaneously to our eyes,” said Mr. Trottier explains.

One of the strengths of Cowboys Fringeants, the musicology professor reveals, is “this way of empathizing with the texts, projecting the human spirit, what we need in our lives.”

3. shooting star

The 2005 song is filled with nostalgia and vulnerability about the human condition, which Mr. Trottier explains.

“Cowboys Frontends was able to put life’s lyrical moments in progressions,” he adds, aiming to represent an important moment in our lives, the transition to adulthood.

4. America is crying

The song evokes sadness and anxiety through the story of a trucker traveling across America. “Storytelling based on characters who become iconic in a larger social context is part of Cowboys Fringe’s work,” says Mr. Trottier notes.

“Québésers identify themselves with this song, which represents the society that each of us is made of and the experiences we have with regard to social isolation,” he concludes.