The song is a portrayal of the troubled history of Nova Scotia and Acadia. Specifically, it is about the Expulsion of the Acadians during the rivalry between the French and the British over what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and most of Maine.[1]
Robertson's lyrics were influenced by Longfellow's poem Evangeline, which describes the deportation of Acadians.[1] On The Band's recording of the song, the lead vocal is traded on the verses between Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Rick Danko, with all three singers harmonizing on the choruses. Instrumentally, the recording is noted for its overdubbed fiddle playing by Byron Berline.[1]
Robertson took poetic license with the historical record. The deportations happened prior to a formal "war," so "the war" was not "over". The Expulsion began immediately after the British victory in the Battle of Fort Beauséjour (1755) in present-day New Brunswick and not after "What went down on the Plains of Abraham" (1759) in Quebec. The deportations ended when the war ended, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris (1763).
AllMusic critic Rob Bowman described "Acadian Driftwood" as "a slightly more complex and ambitious (and successful) down-north analog to "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."[2]
