C      F  G    C  Em  G  C  F  Em  G
C G C G C G C G

[Verse 1]
C          G           C      G
Jacques et Gilles work at the mill
     C        G        C     G
That stands beside the water
C        G       C        G
Could be Lowell, could be Lawrence
   F           G
Or Nashua, New Hampshire


[Verse 2]
C          G            C        G
Jacques et Gilles, they hate the mill
    C                G        C         G
But they’ve too many sons and daughters
    C        G          C        G
The pay’s no good, they miss the woods
        F              G         C     G C G
So they go and cut the lumber in Maine


[Verse 3]
C          G              C        G
Jacques et Gilles they’ve left the mill
   C        G        C      G
To cut down trees in winter
C        G          C    G
Little Helene who’s only ten
    F         C         F        C
She knits and spins and sits and folds
   F        C      F
In darkness and in hunger
C      G                       C
In the cold mill by the frozen water


[Verse 4]
            Am              G          Am C
And St-Jean-Baptiste says, “That’s okay
     Am        G   Dm7    C
Come pray to me on Sunday
      Am        G            Am        C
We’ll cash your notes, we’ll cast your votes
     F       G            C     G C G
Just give me some of that money”


[Verse 5]
 C       G       C          G
“Tell me mother, sister and brother
C       G      C       G
You who work beside me
C         G     C     G
When will we be going home
       F            C         F          C
To the chickens and cows, the horses and sows
    F           C           F
The cousins and friends and loved-ones
       C               G C G
Of our native country?”


[Verse 6]
     C         G        C        G
“Ah, shut your mouth my daughter dear
   C         G         C     G
Go fetch the boss some water
    C       G       C       G
And just pretend ma belle Helene
            F        C
That at the borne-fontaine
    F           C
You can’t comprehend
     G        C     G C G
That Irish agitator”


[Verse 7]
          Am        G        Am    C
Now we’re going down to La Marique
   Am          G            Dm7       C
To work in the mills of New Hampshire
    Am          G          Am      C
Two weeks we’ll march like savages
         F            G                   C        G      C G
Down the banks of the Connecticut and the Merrimac rivers


[Verse 8]
 C      G     C          G
“Why is Paddy such a bad guy?
C      G     C     G
Why is he so evil?
   C          G          C        G
He wants more pay for his working day
       F                   G               C      G C G
And he says that kids like me should be in school”


[Verse 9]
     C        G      C         G
“Ah, ferme ta gueule ma p’tite soeur
      C         G      C      G
We’ll start for home tomorrow
    C     G         C    G
But Paddy Boyle and Katy Doyle
        F          C
They’ve left their soil
        F       C         F        C
They’ve sailed away, they can’t go home
    G                       C                 G C G
And therein lies their anger and their sorrow”


[Verse 10]
        C       G         C      G
And the old man smells of whisky-blanc
     C         G    C       G
Of tobacco and fine leather
    C       G       C       G
And all the boys Ti-Pit, Ti-Jean
   F       C         F         C
Ti-Guy, Ti-Gus, have brand new suits
    F       C          F         C
And all the girls, new coats and hats
      F      C      F        C      G
And Madame Aubry, a gorgeous hat of Melton
                C        G C G
With three fine feathers


[Verse 11]
          Am    G       Am  C
And we’re going home to Canada
     Am           G         Dm7     C
To La Beauce, our beautiful country
      Am       G              Am     C
We’ll take the new train from Nashua
    F       G           C        G     C G C G
Our pockets filled with American money