Acadian Driftwood lyrics

Song information

Artist: The Band
Album: Northern Lights-Southern Cross

Lyrics

F c9
The war was over and the spirit was broken
Dm9 ebmaj9 gm7
The hills were smokin' as the men withdrew
F
We stood on the cliffs
C/g a9
Oh, and watched the ships
Bb gm7
Slowly sinking to their rendezvous
F c9
They signed a treaty and our homes were taken
Dm9 ebmaj9
Loved ones forsaken
Gm7
They didn't give a damn
F
Try'n' to raise a family
C/g a9
End up the enemy
Bb gm7
Over what went down on the plains of abraham (*)

F bb
Acadian driftwood
Gm7 c7
Gypsy tail wind
Bb/d f/c bb gm7
They call my home the land of snow
F bb gm7 c7
Canadian cold front movin' in
Bb/d f/c
What a way to ride
Bb dm7/a gm7 c7 f
Oh, what a way to go

Then some returned to the motherland
The high command had them cast away
And some stayed on to finish what they started
They never parted
They're just built that way
We had kin livin' south of the border
They're a little older and they've been around
They wrote a letter life is a whole lot better
So pull up your stakes, children and come on down

Fifteen under zero when the day became a threat
My clothes were wet and I was drenched to the bone
Been out ice fishing, too much repetition
Make a man wanna leave the only home he's known
Sailing out of the gulf headin' for saint pierre
Nothin' to declare
All we had was gone
Broke down along the coast
But what hurt the most
When the people there said
"You better keep movin' on"

Everlasting summer filled with ill-content
This government had us walkin' in chains
This isn't my turf
This ain't my season
Can't think of one good reason to remain
I've worked in the sugar fields up from new orleans
It was ever green up until the floods
You could call it an omen
Points ya where you're goin'
Set my compass north
I got winter in my blood

Acadian driftwood
Gypsy tail wind
They call my home the land of snow
Canadian cold front movin' in
What a way to ride
Ah, what a way to go

F c7sus4 c7 bb/d gm7
Sais tu, a-ca-di-e j'ai le mal du pays
[You know, acadia, I long for the country (i am homesick)]
F c7sus4 c7 bb/d gm7
Ta neige, acadie, fait des larmes au soleil
[Your snow, acadia, makes tears in the sun (or for the sun)]
F c7sus4 c7 bb/d gm7
J'arrive acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle ooh
[I am arriving acadia (or I am coming acadia)]