The Night They Moved the House Songtext
von Ten Strings and a Goat Skin

The word had spread from door to door
Down the barachois road to the harbour shore
Old Joe Labelle would steal the house from the widow Victoria
He′d found some deed that claimed her land
And a handshake deal just wouldn't stand
In a court of law he did demand that the house belonged to him

Ring the church bells in the night
We′ll gather at the first starlight
Bring your lamps, sleighs and mare to save the Widow's home
Across the big field, o'er the pond
We′ll move this house before the dawn
When Joe Labelle arrives he′ll find his prize already gone

It seems that some mistake was made
On the day her husband made a trade
And when he died he was betrayed by Joe Labelle's black heart
He planned to force her to the cold
And he′d bring the Sheriff and his fold
So through the dead of Winter's hold we′d come to save her home


Ring the church bells in the night
We'll gather at the first starlight
Bring your lamps, sleighs and mare to save the Widow′s home
Across the big field, o'er the pond
We'll move this house before the dawn
When Joe Labelle arrives he′ll find his prize already gone

You could see his breath freeze in the air
As Perè Felix said the Lord′s Prayer
And passed the wine to all hands there
Then he sang a sailor's song

There must have been near forty men
While their wives all held their lamps for them
They fashioned logs, levers and skids while shivering to the bone
With winches, logs and Dino′s sleigh
They slowly hauled the house away
And the ice cracked like the break of day as across it she was drawn

We rang the church bells in the night
We worked until the morning light
Brought our lamps, sleighs and mare to save the Widow's home
Across the big field, o′er the pond
We moved this house before the dawn
Joe Labelle arrived and found his prize already gone


We rang the church bells in the night
We worked until the morning light
Brought out lamps, sleighs and mare to save the Widow's home
Across the big field, o′er the pond
We moved this house before the dawn
Joe Labelle arrived and found his prize already gone