Richard Shindell

Acadian Driftwood

Richard Shindell


Tom: C

INTRO: C   F  Dm  C  (2x)  

                        G                   Am
The war was over and the spirit was broken
                                 F           C
The hills were smoking as the men withdrew
                          G                         Dm   
We stood on the cliffs, oh, and watched the ships
                        F            C 
Slowly sinking to their rendezvous


                            G                  Am
They signed a treaty and our homes were taken
                                 F             C
Loved ones forsaken, they didn't give a damn
                        G                      Dm
Tried to raise a family, you end up the enemy
                                     F         C 
Over what went down on the plains of Abraham


CHORUS:
        F         Am     G         C
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind
             F    Dm           F     C
They call my home, the land of snow
         F          Am      G        Am
Canadian cold front, moving in, oh
       C/G    F                Dm7    C    F   Dm   C
What a way to ride, oh, what a way to go


                    G            Am
Some returned to the motherland
                          F           C
The high command had them cast away
                        G                   Dm
Some stayed on to finish what they started
                                F               C
They never parted, they're just built that way


                 G                     Am
We had kin living south of the border
                                   F             C
They're a little older and they've been around
                               G                       Dm
They wrote a letter, "Life here is a whole lot better,
                            F               C
So pull up stakes children, come on down."


CHORUS:
        F         Am     G         C
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind
             F    Dm           F     C
They call my home, the land of snow
         F          Am      G        Am
Canadian cold front, moving in, oh
       C/G    F                Dm7    C   F   Dm   C    F   Dm   C
What a way to ride, oh, what a way to go


                               G                  Am
Fifteen under zero, when the day became a threat
                              F                      C
My clothes were wet and I was drenched to the bone
                      G                     Dm
Been out ice fishing, too much repetition
                                F                C
Make a man wanna leave the only home he's known


                                    G              Am
Sailing out of the gulf, heading for Saint Pierre
                           F              C
Nothing to declare, all we had was gone
                             G                          Dm
Broke down along the coast, oh, but what hurt the most
                                               F            C
When the people there said, "You'd better keep moving on."


                              G             Am
Everlasting summer filled with ill content
                       F                  C
This government had us walking in chains
                         G                Dm
This isn't my turf, this ain't my season
                               F           C
Can't think of one good reason to remain


                                   G             Am
Worked in the sugar fields, up from New Orleans
                       F               C
It was ever green up until the floods
                           G                              Dm
You could call it an omen, points you where you're going
                            F                    C
Set my compass north, I got winter in my blood


CHORUS:
        F         Am     G         C
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind
             F    Dm           F     C
They call my home, the land of snow
         F          Am      G        Am
Canadian cold front, moving in, oh
       C/G    F                Dm7    C   F   Dm   C   F   Dm   C
What a way to ride, oh, what a way to go


OUTRO:   (## French ##)
            F   Dm7      C
Sais tu, Acadia  j'ai le mal du paye
               F  Dm7       C
Ta neige, Acadia,  fait des larmes au solei
            F   Dm7      C
Sais tu, Acadia  j'ai le mal du paye
               F  Dm7       C
Ta neige, Acadia,  fait des larmes au solei

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