lifeblood: songs: lyrics: acadian driftwood

the war was over
and the spirit was broken
the hills were smokin
and the men withdrew
we stood on the cliffs
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
tryin to raise a familybut ya
end up the enemy
over what went down
on the plains of abraham

acadian driftwood
gypsy tail wind
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
oh the high command
had them cast away
and some stayed on
to finish what they started
they never parted
cause 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

acadian driftwood
gypsy tail wind
they call my home
the land of snow
canadian cold front
movin in
what a way to ride
oh what a way to go

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
and we headed for saint pierre
nothin' to declare
all we had was gone
we broke down along the coast
but what hurt the most
was when the people there said
you better keep movin' on

acadian driftwood
gypsy tail wind
they call my home
the land of snow
canadian cold front
movin in
what a way to ride
oh what a way to go

everlasting summer
filled with ill content
this government
has us running in chains
this isn't my turf
this ain't my season
and i 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
i'll set my compass north
i got winter in my blood (winter in my blood)

acadian driftwood
gypsy tail wind
they call my home
the land of snow
canadian cold front
movin in
yeah what a way to ride
oh what a way to go

sais tu acadie
j'ai la mal du pays
ta neige acadie
fait des larmes au soleil
sais tu acadie
j'ai la mal du pays
ta neige acadie
fait des larmes au soleil
sais tu acadie
j'ai la mal du pays
ta neige acadie
fait des larmes au soleil
sais tu acadie
teedle um teedle um teedle ooh
ta neige acadie
teedle um teedle um teedle ooh

(translation) you know acadia
i long for the country (i am homesick)
your snow acadia
is made of the tears of the sun

words and music by j.r. robertson
as performed with shawn colvin, sarah mclachlan, and lisa loeb at 1997-08-24: thunderbird stadium - vancouver, british columbia (lilith fair)