My Papa was a hard working mand Held a plow inside a caloused hand Up before the sun out on theland Try to give us everything he can He sent us off to school when a teacher came He said, "My boy try hard, do the best you can." But the teacher we could not understand Because she only talked "Américain" Papa couldn't tell us and it didn't make no sense When the teacher told us we couldn't talk no French no more Things were changing fast it Louisiane Cajun can't talk English feel ashamed But nowadays, it's getting so you can't Tell the Cajuns from Amércains Papa couldn't tell us and it didn't make no sense When the teacher told us we couldn't talk no French no more Do you hear me calling, do you understand? Once it is gone, it ain't never coming back no more I got me a job just like my Papa planned I wear a suit and dirt never touch my hand But I still see the look in my Papa's eyes The pain and the shame that he just could not hide Papa couldn't tell us and it didn't make no sense When the teacher told us we couldn't talk no French no more Do you hear me calling, do you understand? Once it is gone, it ain't never coming back no more Hé, mon cher garçon Est-ce que tu me comprends?