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Acadian Driftwood

The Band

Text File

  "Acadian Driftwood" (Robertson)
   From "Northern Lights, Southern Cross" (1976)

   Capo third fret and drop D tuning.

 Intro figure:

    e|------------|------------2-|
    B|------------|------------3-|
    G|-----------0|------------2-|
    D|-----0-0h2--|------------0-|
    A|-0h2--------|-0h2-0------0-|
    E|-0----------|-------b3-0-0-|


       D                    Asus4                      
   The war was over and the spirit was broken
   Bm             Cadd9           Em7 
   The hills were smokin' as the men withdrew
   D                       A/e                 F#   
   We stood on the cliffs, Oh, and watched the ships
   G                       Em7                      
   Slowly sinking to their rendezvous
   D                            Asus4                        
   They signed a treaty and our homes were taken
   Bm           Cadd9               Em7
   Loved ones forsaken, they didn't give a damn
   D                         A/e        F#            
   Tryin' to raise a family, end up the enemy
   G                                    Em7
   Over what went down on the plains of Abraham

   Chorus:
  
   D       G          Em7   Asus4  A         
   Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,
   G/b          D/a  G            Em7
   They call my home, the land of snow
   D        G           Em7    Asus4 A
   Canadian cold front, movin' in
   G/b       D/a      G  Bm      Em7 A7 D
   What a way to ride, 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
  
  CHORUS

  Fifteen under zero when the day became a threat
  My clothes were wet and I was drenched to the bone
  Been out ice fishing,mhmm,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,oh,But what hurt the most
  When the people there said "You'd better keep movin' on"
 
  CHORUS

  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
  we 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
  
  CHORUS

  Coda,en francais to fade:

   D       Asus4  A     G/b        Em7
   Sais tu, A-ca-di-e   j'ai le mal du pays
   D              Asus4 A  G/b      Em7
   Ta neige, Acadie,    fait des larmes au solei
    D       Asus4 A   G/b        Em7            D
   J'arrive Acadie,   teedle um, teedle um, teedle ooh

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Acadian Driftwood

The Band