The Band – Acadian Driftwood (Guitar)

Capo 1
Key
-

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Chords

From "Northern Lights - Southern Cross" (1975) 14/08/23: While at least one guitar on the studio recording may be in Open D, I now suspect at least one is in standard but uses E major shapes with a lot of ringing, open strings. The song I associate most with those shapes is "All Things Must Pass" but other random examples are Beck's "Golden Age" and The Allmans' "Melissa". Shapes: EADGBE Bsus4: X24400 C#m: 064400 F#m/E: 044200 G#m/E: 066400 See below for Open D version. ---------------------------------------------------------- [Intro]
    E|------------|-------------0-|
    B|------------|-------------0-|
    G|-----------2|-------------4-|
    D|-2--2--2h4--|-2h4-2-------2-|
    A|-2h4--------|-------------2-|
    E|-0----------|-------2b30--0-|
[Verse]
 E                        Bsus4
The war was over and the spirit was broken,

C#m            Dsus2          F#m/E       Bsus4
The hills were smokin' as the men withdrew.

E                       F#m/E               G#m/E
We stood on the cliffs, Oh, and watched the ships,

Asus2                    F#m/E
Slowly sinking to their rendezvous.
[Verse]
 E                           Bsus4
They signed a treaty and our homes were taken,

 C#m           Dsus2              F#m/E     Bsus4
Loved ones forsaken, they didn't give a damn.

 E                        F#m/E      G#m/E
Tryin' to raise a family, end up the enemy,

Asus2                                 F#m/E
Over what went down on the Plains of Abraham.
[Chorus]
  E      Asus2           Bsus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Asus2              F#m/E  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   E     Asus2              Bsus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Asus2           Bsus4  E
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Verse]
 E                         Bsus4
Then some returned to the Motherland,

C#m          Dsus2        F#m/E    Bsus4
The High Command had them cast away.

 E                     F#m/E           G#m/E
And some stayed on to finish what they started,

Asus2                           F#m/E
They never parted, they're just built that way.
[Verse]
        E         Bsus4
We had kin livin' south of the border,

C#m              Dsus2             F#m/E      Bsus4
They're a little older and they've been around.

E                    F#m/E     G#m/E
They wrote a letter "life is a whole lot better

   Asus2                             F#m/E
So pull up your stakes, children and come on down".
[Chorus]
  E      Asus2           Bsus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Asus2              F#m/E  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   E     Asus2              Bsus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Asus2           Bsus4  E
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Verse]
 E                           Bsus4
Fifteen under zero when the day became a threat,

C#m             Dsus2          F#m/E              Bsus4
My clothes were wet and I was drenched to the bone.

 E                          F#m/E         G#m/E
Been out ice fishing, mhmm, too much repetition,

 Asus2                          F#m/E
Make a man wanna leave the only home he's known.
[Verse]
 E                                   Bsus4
Sailing out of the gulf headin' for Saint Pierre,

 C#m          Dsus2        F#m/E       Bsus4
Nothin' to declare, all we had was gone.

 E                           F#m/E               G#m/E
Broke down along the coast, oh, but what hurt the most

 Asus2                                        F#m/E
When the people there said "You'd better keep movin' on"
[Chorus]
  E      Asus2           Bsus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Asus2              F#m/E  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   E     Asus2              Bsus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Asus2           Bsus4  E
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Verse]
 E                             Bsus4
Everlasting summer filled with ill content,

C#m        Dsus2        F#m/E           Bsus4
This government had us walkin' in chains.

 E                  F#m/E         G#m/E
This isn't my turf, this ain't my season,

 Asus2                         F#m/E
Can't think of one good reason to remain.
[Verse]
E                                     Bsus4
We worked in the sugar fields up from New Orleans,

C#m         Dsus2      F#m/E          Bsus4
It was ever green up until the floods.

E                         F#m/E                   G#m/E
You could call it an omen, points ya where you're goin',

Asus2                       F#m/E
Set my compass North, I got winter in my blood.
[Chorus]
  E      Asus2           Bsus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Asus2              F#m/E  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   E     Asus2              Bsus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Asus2           Bsus4  E
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Outro] (en francais to fade)
 E       Esus4   E          F#m/E
Sais tu, A-ca-di-e  j'ai le mal du pays,

 E        Esus4 E            F#m/E
Ta neige, Acadi-e,  fait des larmes au solei.

E        Esus4 E          F#m/E
J'arrive Acadi-e,  teedle um, teedle um, teedle ooh...
------------------------------------------------------ Open D version (capo 3) shapes for DADF#AD D: 000000 and 000354 Asus4: 001240 and 000575 Em/D: 002120 and 202120 Bm: 020020 Csus2: x32130 Gsus2: 005500 F#m: 004340 [Intro]
    E|------------------0-|
    B|------------------0-|
    G|------------------0-|
    D|----1-------------0-|
    A|-0h20-0h20--------0-|
    E|-0-----------2b30-0-|
[Verse]
 D                        Asus4
The war was over and the spirit was broken,

Bm             Csus2          Em/D    Asus4
The hills were smokin' as the men withdrew.

D                       Em/D                 F#m
We stood on the cliffs, Oh, and watched the ships,

Gsus2                     Em/D
Slowly sinking to their rendezvous.
[Verse]
 D                          Asus4
They signed a treaty and our homes were taken,

 Bm            Csus2             Em/D   Asus4
Loved ones forsaken, they didn't give a damn.

 D                        Em/D        F#m
Tryin' to raise a family, end up the enemy,

 Gsus2                                Em/D
Over what went down on the Plains of Abraham.
[Chorus]
  D      Gsus2            Asus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Gsus2              Em/D  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   D     Gsus2              Asus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Gsus2           Asus4  D
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Verse]
 D                         Asus4
Then some returned to the Motherland,

Bm          Csus2         Em/D  Asus4
The High Command had them cast away.

 D                     Em/D              F#m
And some stayed on to finish what they started,

Gsus2                            Em/D
They never parted, they're just built that way.
[Verse]
        D          Asus4
We had kin livin' south of the border,

Bm               Csus2             Em/D  Asus4
They're a little older and they've been around.

D                     Em/D      F#m
They wrote a letter "life is a whole lot better

   Gsus2                              Em/D
So pull up your stakes, children and come on down".
[Chorus]
  D      Gsus2            Asus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Gsus2              Em/D  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   D     Gsus2              Asus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Gsus2           Asus4  D
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Verse]
 D                           Asus4
Fifteen under zero when the day became a threat,

Bm              Csus2          Em/D              Asus4
My clothes were wet and I was drenched to the bone.

 D                          Em/D           F#m
Been out ice fishing, mhmm, too much repetition,

 Gsus2                           Em/D
Make a man wanna leave the only home he's known.
[Verse]
 D                                   Asus4
Sailing out of the gulf headin' for Saint Pierre,

 Bm           Csus2        Em/D        Asus4
Nothin' to declare, all we had was gone.

 D                          Em/D               F#m
Broke down along the coast, oh, but what hurt the most

 Gsus2                                         Em/D
When the people there said "You'd better keep movin' on"
[Chorus]
  D      Gsus2            Asus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Gsus2              Em/D  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   D     Gsus2              Asus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Gsus2           Asus4  D
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Verse]
 D                             Asus4
Everlasting summer filled with ill content,

Bm         Csus2        Em/D           Asus4
This government had us walkin' in chains.

 D                  Em/D           F#m
This isn't my turf, this ain't my season,

 Gsus2                             Em/D
Can't think of one good reason to remain.
[Verse]
D                                     Asus4
We worked in the sugar fields up from New Orleans,

Bm          Csus2       Em/D          Asus4
It was ever green up until the floods.

D                          Em/D                   F#m
You could call it an omen, points ya where you're goin',

Gsus2                        Em/D
Set my compass North, I got winter in my blood.
[Chorus]
  D      Gsus2            Asus4
Acadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind,

             Gsus2              Em/D  
They call my home   the land of snow.

   D     Gsus2              Asus4
Canadian cold front, movin' in,

              Gsus2           Asus4  D
What a way to ride, oh what a way to go.
[Outro] en francais to fade
D        Dsus4   D          Em/D
Sais tu, A-ca-di-e  j'ai le mal du pays,

D         Dsus4 D             Em/D
Ta neige, Acadi-e,  fait des larmes au solei.

D        Dsus4 D          Em/D
J'arrive Acadi-e,  teedle um, teedle um, teedle ooh...