I would hope that most Canadiens fans have heard this song at some point. A tune, usually played on the organ, that you’ll either hear in the Bell Centre, or through your television set as you watch at home. It is a very unique thing to hear at a hockey game, because the only building that will ever play it is located in the fair city of Montreal, Québec.
I am of course talking about the classic “Halte là – Les Canadiens sont là!” In case you are not familiar with the song, it goes a little like this:
From what I’ve been able to gather, the history of this song is rather ambiguous. Apparently, a Montreal snowshoeing group called “Les Montagnards” used to sing it in the late 1800’s, their version of course being “Halte là ! Les Montagnards sont là.”
The Montreal Canadiens didn’t come into existence until 1909, but eventually, that song would be adapted for Les Glorieux. I have not been able to ascertain exactly who is responsible for the Canadiens iteration, but if anyone has any further information on the subject, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section.
But what happened to the song? I rarely hear anyone sing it, even when the music is being played within the confines of the Bell Centre. I submit to you all, that we need to bring this back, and bring it back in a big way. The OLÉ chant is one of the more fun things Habs fans can do, but I see no reason why we can’t have more than one song to sing when the team is performing well.
Learning the lyrics should be easy. Once you have, the next time you’re at the Bell Centre, and you hear the organ playing the tune, sing along loudly. The next time you’re at your local bar, whether it be in Montreal or elsewhere, sing it after the Habs win. You know what? Sing it whenever you want to. It’s a great song and it’s a good bit of fun if you’re as ardent a Canadiens fan as I.
Who knows, you could wind up being one of these fantastic human beings running nearly naked through the Champs de Mars in Paris.
I don’t know who these two beauticians are, but I salute them. If those two dudes, who I have never met, called me up and asked me to help them move, I would get my ass over and help them. These two international Habs ambassadors deserve the utmost respect.
Sing it loud, and sing it proud. Les Canadiens sont là!
