All inducted songs
“This song has now regained the meaning it had when I first recorded it with a guitar and a bottle of Scotch . .. I played it for a few people and saw friends break into tears ."
Le Labrador
  • Year Inducted: 2008
  • Written In: 1972
Songwriters
Artists
Richard Desjardins
Gilles Vigneault
Marie Michèle Desrosiers
This magnificent piece became a Quebec classic immediately following its release. A social and personal view of the isolation the remote territory’s developers and pioneers faced in the beginning of the 20th century, the song’s lyrics evoke the beauty of the region’s summers and winters and express feelings of love for nature and the wilderness and of respect for the Amerindian way of life.

Recorded in Paris at the Vogue Studios, with his guitar and a bottle of Scotch at his feet, Dubois was actually singing the praises of his country’s very existence and national fiber.

An intimate and personal song with lyrics partly based on his father’s memories, Dubois’ Le Labrador leaves no listener indifferent.

Recorded with arrangements and orchestral direction by François Rauber, a long-time collaborator of Jacques Brel, Le Labrador was released in Quebec 18 months after its recording, on the French label Barclay.

Le Labrador was recently covered by two Quebec singing legends, Gilles Vigneault and Richard Desjardins, as part of their contribution to the Duos Dubois album.

Speaking of this recent new collaboration, Claude Dubois said that “this song has now regained the meaning it had when I first recorded it with a guitar and a bottle of Scotch . .. I played it for a few people and saw friends break into tears . . . Gilles said: ‘We’re three guys from the North . . . .'”

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Le Labrador (Claude Dubois) - performed by Boom Desjardins
"Le Labrador", written and composed by Claude Dubois, was performed by French Canadian singer Boom Desjardins at the 2008 CSHF Induction Ceremony.
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