The Cowboys Fringants always sang about how time passes too quickly. They always spoke of the knot in our hearts that we feel when we realize that our time on earth is far too short. We barely have time to blink, and we’re getting old… and then we’re gone.
• Also read: Cowboys Fringants singer Karl Tremblay has died aged 47
One day we’re looking at matboard, the next day we have wrinkles everywhere.
With his departure at the age of 47, Karl Tremblay showed that we are just “shooting stars”.
When we learned of the singer’s death, thousands of us had a “handkerchief full of tears in our pockets,” as in the beautiful song “On my Shoulder.” There are thousands of us holding on with spit.
Upon hearing the news of Charles’ death, Quebec lowered its flag to half-mast.
WE ARE ALL COWBOYS
Before Karl Tremblay left, he gave us all a great lesson in courage and integrity. We won’t soon forget his vulnerability at the Quebec Summer Festival and his strength in the face of lurking illness. How can we forget the image of this man sitting on a chair, but in the face of illness, powerful and vulnerable at the same time, despite everything, he wants to sing?
Carried by the wave of love from the audience, from these hearts in unison, it is the most beautiful demonstration of the power of music, poetry, words and notes that ring true.
At the last ADISQ gala, Karl Tremblay was conspicuous by his absence, but was always present everywhere. All the tenderness of the music world towards this cowboy like no other was felt that evening.
When Jérôme Dupras took to the stage with Jean-François Pauzé and Marie-Annick Lépine to accept the Félix for Group of the Year, he said: “This year we learned that the Cowboys Fringants are not four, but eight “Millions of us.” Jérôme put into words what an entire people thought about this group that is an intimate part of our DNA.
We’re all a bit of cowboys. We were all drawn to Karl Tremblay and followed week after week as his illness progressed or his energy increased. Karl was part of the family and we worried about him, just as we worried about the health of our brother or our uncle.
In a few days the premiere of “Pub Royal”, this musical comedy based on the work of Cowboys Fringants, will take place in Quebec. This will be the Cowboys’ “first” without the dashing Karl. It will be sad, but also beautiful, because we will hear Karl’s voice telling us our joys and sorrows.
MY AUTUMN SOUND
In 27 years, Karl, you have often made me laugh and cry by singing about our love, our friendships, our country. Now is no time for tears, you have given up your weapons. You have overcome everything with your head down. Now that you’ve come down the hill with your head held high, all I have to say is thank you.
Thank you for supporting us all these years. For telling us our sorrows and our joys, our victories and our failures.
And most of all, thank you for singing about time that passes far, far too quickly.
