A French-Canadian song - Mariés à l'église divorcés par la loi

Possibly a Gerry Aubé original per https://www.discogs.com/de/release/6076851-Julie-Et-Les-Fr%C3%A8res-Duguay-Julie…

But a version by his sister Simone https://www.discogs.com/de/release/13064163-Simone-Gerry-Aub%C3%A9-Hommage-%C3%A… has a screenshot of the sleeve referring to Hank Snow as co-author

To add confustion the Julie Daraîche Youtube video attached mentions Merle Haggard in the comments.

Bastien You somehow have access to the SOCAN database which I have not yet cracked.

jojo And you have the best ears I have come across.

David,

I know the song. It's on the tip of my tongue.

My guess it's a traditional song. But it doesn't pop up right now.

JoJo greets

Tip of my tongue too.

Cannot find a Haggard or Hank Snow song with church or divorce or similar in the title.

I came across it when I was searching for covers of Patsy Cline - A Church, A Courtroom and then Goodbye.

It will come to us eventtually.

Dave

Quote from Scousedave

You somehow have access to the SOCAN database which I have not yet cracked.

Is this the link you're looking for?

https://www.socan.com/controller?modulePageName=repertoirePage&subPage=pubRepert…

NB: All PRO links are listed here:

https://secondhandsongs.com/page/EditorBookmarks

Already got that far but when I enter the title and click search I get a message - 403 Access Forbidden

On the subject of PRO links, SACEM is excellent but does not seem to give works a reference number. And nor does BUMA. Or am I missing something?

SACEM is excellent but does not seem to give works a reference number. And nor does BUMA

That's right, they don't.

SOCAN credits this song solely to Gerard Aubé:

This song has a run-of-the-mill melody because of the run-of-the-mill chord structure. When you arpeggiate around the chords, you definitely will have similarities to other songs with the same chord structure.

The fiirst two lines resemble "Heartaches by the Number". Especially beats 9 to 16 of the melody with vocals "divorcés par la loi" seem to be very close to "troubles by the score" of Heartaches by the Number. I did not compare it note for note, it just sounds similar.

Other parts have similarities to other songs. I must listen to many songs to find all the songs this one quotes. I'd probably have to play it as an instrumental to not be distracted by the lyrics -- but that is MY problem..

Liebe Grüße aus Großhansdorf

Guido

Marvelous Guido,

"Heartaches by the Number" was that song on the "tip of my tongue".

So not traditional, as I suspected.

And so not Hank Snow and not Merle Haggard, as suggested by others, but Harlan Howard.

But Gerard Aubé changed the song just enough to avoid copyright issues.

Joop grüsst aus die Niederlande.