Acadian Driftwood

[LuckyCharms]

The war was over
And the spirit was broken
The hills were smokin'
As the men withdrew
We stood on the cliffs,
Oh and watched the ships,
Slowly sinking to their rendezvous

They signed a treaty
And our homes were taken
Loved-ones forsaken,
They didn't give a damn.
Try to raise a family
End up an enemy
Over what went down on the Plains of Abraham.

Acadian driftwood,
Gypsy tailwind
They call my home,
The land of snow
Canadian cold front,
Movin' in
What a way to ride,
Oh what a way to go

Then some returned,
To the motherland
The high command,
Had them cast away
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 been around
They wrote in a letter
Life is a whole lot better
So pull up your stakes, children,
And come on down

Acadian driftwood,
Gypsy tailwind
They call my home,
The land of snow
Canadian cold front,
Movin' in
What a way to ride,
Oh what a way to go

Fifty under zero when the day became a threat
My clothes were wet
And I was drenched to the bone
Then out ice fishin', mmm,
Too much repetition
Make a man want to leave
The only home he's known

Sailed out of the Gulf,
Headed for St. Pierre
Nothing to declare,
All we had was gone
Broke down along the coast oh
What hurt the most
When the people there said
"You better keep movin' on"

Acadian driftwood,
Gypsy tailwind
They call my home,
The land of snow
Canadian cold front,
Movin' in
What a way to ride,
Oh what a way to go

Everlastin' summer
Filled with ill-contempt
This government
Had us walkin' in chains
This isn't my turn
This isn't my season
Can't think of one good reason
To remain oh

We worked in the sugar fields
Up from New Orleans
It was ever-green
Up until the flood
You could call it an omen
Point ya where ya goin'
Set my compass North
I got winter in my blood

Acadian driftwood,
Gypsy tailwind
They call my home,
The land of snow
Canadian cold front,
Movin' in
What a way to ride,
Oh what a way to go

Sais tu, Acadie j'ai le mal do pays
Ta neige, Acadie, fait des larmes au soleil
J'arrive Acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle oo
J'arrive Acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle oo
J'arrive Acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle oo
J'arrive Acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle oo
J'arrive Acadie, teedle um, teedle um, teedle oo

[tetedur]

1. The more things change the more they stay the same

When the Acadians were dispersed colonialists did not want to let the exiles in except for Maryland, parts of Alabama and of course, the territory of Louisiana. Many considered themselves prisoners of war on the ships and many suffered and died.

People in exile either imposed from without or out of necessity will suffer and we move through time learning nothing.

[zanana1]

2. I enjoyed this immensely.

A history lesson in a song. I've read about my ancestors being driven from Acadia by the English. Some went south but some stayed in the New England area. I'm in NH.