Quebec is in mourning after the death of Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay. With more than 160 songs, the Cowboys Fringants have left their mark on many Quebecers and will go down in history thanks to the powerful messages that their songs convey.
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Here are four Cowboys Fringants songs that will go down in history:
1. At half mast
This song from the 2002 album Break Syndical marks the beginning of the Cowboys Fringants’ success. With its military and catchy rhythm, En mastre expresses the political position of the Cowboys Fringants, namely the desire for Quebec sovereignty.
The song “denounces a form of aplaventrism in Quebec society, linked to a question of disillusionment with the major ideologies of the 1970s,” said Danick Trottier, professor of musicology in the Department of Music at UQAM. This text could be described as “biting,” he adds.
“We see the talent of Karl Tremblay as he embodies this song. I couldn’t imagine anyone interpreting it,” he emphasizes.
2. On my shoulder
This song on the album “Les Antipodes” brings to life a mix of emotions among Quebecers with its more melancholic side. The story behind this song is full of love and compassion between two people coming together to support each other through their grief. “Emotions appear spontaneously in our eyes,” explains Mr. Trottier.
One of the strengths of Cowboys Fringants is “this way of designing texts sensitively, of putting human sensitivity in the foreground, which is what we need in our lives,” says the musicology professor.
3. Shooting star
This 2005 song, full of nostalgia and vulnerability about the human condition, “shows the range of emotions and demands that the Cowboys expressed in their songs,” explains Mr. Trottier.
To represent an important moment in our lives, the transition into adulthood, “The Cowboys were able to incorporate Fringant’s moments of life and progress into song,” he adds.
4. America is crying
This song evokes heartache and fear through the story of a trucker traveling across America. “Telling stories based on characters who become emblematic of a larger social situation is part of the work of Cowboys Fringants,” notes Mr. Trottier.
“Quebecers recognized themselves through this song. It refers to what each of us experiences in relation to the society in which we develop and in relation to social isolation,” he concludes.