Kate & Anna McGarrigle - Jacques Et Gilles lyrics

Jacques et Gilles work at the mill That stands beside the water Could be Lowell, could be Lawrence Or Nashua, New Hampshire Jacques et Gilles, they hate the mill But they've too many sons and daughters The pay's no good and they miss the woods So they go and cut the lumber in Maine Jacques et Gilles they've left the mill To cut down trees in winter Little Hélène who's only ten She knits and spins and sits and folds In darkness and in hunger In the cold mill by the frozen water And St-Jean-Baptiste says, "That's O.K. Come pray to me on Sunday We'll cash your notes We'll cast your votes Just give me some of that money" "Tell me mother, sister, brother You who work beside me When will we be goin' home To the chickens and cows, the horses and sows The cousins and friends and loved-ones Of our native country?" "Ah, shut your mouth my daughter dear Go fetch the boss some water And just pretend ma belle Hélène That at the borne-fontaine You can't comprehend That Irish agitator" And we're goin' down to La Marique To work in the mills of New Hampshire Two weeks we'll march like savages Down the banks of the Connecticut and the Merrimac rivers "Why is Paddy such a bad guy? Why is he so evil? He wants more pay for his working day And he says that kids like me Should be in school" "Ah, ferme ta gueule ma p'tite soeur We'll start for home tomorrow But Paddy Boyle and Katy Doyle They've left their soil They've sailed away They can't go home and therein Lies their anger and their sorrow" And the old man smells of whisky-blanc Of tobacco and fine leather And all the boys Ti-Pit, Ti-Jean, Ti-Guy, Ti-Gus Have brand new suits And all the girls new coats and hats And Madame Aubry a gorgeous hat of melton With three fine feathers And we're goin' home to Canada To La Beauce, our beautiful country We'll take the new train from Nashua Our pockets filled with American money