scroll
This is the final, checked-for-errors, intro-included version.
The song is played with the low E-string(s) tuned down to D and a capo on
the 3rd fret. The song is mostly based in D. This tuning gives the D
chord an especially huge sound. Try to avoid playing the low D on most
chords (except the D). I have put a (X) on the chord charts to remind you
of this.
Buy, borrow, beg, or steal a 12-string to play this on! This is a *RULE*
for this song!!! :-)
Lightfoot typically seems to concentrate on the high strings (say the top
four (or 8, if you've got a 12-string) for the jangly, percussive rhythms
and hits bass notes on a main beat. For the first three verses (and all
the rest just like them), play the D/C# bass chord as a regular D and just
hit that C# once as a bass note, and then the same goes for the B note in
the G chord. It sounds complicated, but it creates that descending bass
pattern on the A string. Just play along with the record a couple of
times. I'm sure you'll get the idea!
Feel that musically-metaphoric train chugging along and marvel at his
brilliance as he manages to combine the rhythm with the meaning of the
song...All aboard!!!
Anyway, follow the recording to get the rhythms. I finally decided to tab
the intro from the Gord's Gold album, since that is the version most
people seem to be most familiar with. Tablature's major limitation is the
lack of convenient way to notate rhythm. The way to count the intro is
"one-two-e-and-a..."
The Chords: (apologies in advance for any incorrect names)
D G D/C# bass G6
=========== X========== X========== X==========
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 1 2 2 1 2 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3 3 4 3 3 4 ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
4----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
LA DO LAm7 MImX========== X========== =========== ===========
- 1 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 3 2 2 1 2 3 ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
-
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- LA7addG LA7 MI LA7sus4
X========== X========== =========== ===========
1 ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 1 2 2 3 4 1----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 3 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
DOmaj7 RE7X========== =========== =========== ===========
1----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 2 2 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3 ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Intro- RE SOL SOL/DO SOL SOL6
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----2-----2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2---2-2-2-------
---3-3-3---3-3-3-----2-----2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2---2-2-2-------
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----0-----0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0---0-0-0-------
-----------------------0-2-----------------------------------2-2-2-------
-----------------0-2---------0-2-------0-3-------0-2-------0-------------
-0-------0---------------------------------------------------------------
SOL6 RE---2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2-----------------------------------------
---2-2-2---2-2-2---3-3-3---3-3-3-----------------------------------------
---0-0-0---0-0-0---2-2-2---2-2-2-----------------------------------------
---2-2-2---2-2-2---------------------------------------------------------
-0-------0---------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------0-------0--------"There was..."-------------------------
Verses:
- RE SOL RE
There was a time in this fair land when the railroads did not run
D/C#bass G G6
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
RE SOL REAnd long before the white man and long before the wheel
- LA DO RE LAm7 RE LAm7 RE
When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
- RE SOL RE
But time has no beginnings and hist'ry has no bounds
D/C#bass G G6
As to this verdant country they came from all around
RE SOL REThey sailed upon her waterways and they walked the forests tall
- LA DO RE LAm7 RE LAm7
And built the mines the mills and the factories for the good of us all
- RE SOL RE
And when the young man's fancy was turning in the spring
D/C#bass G G6
The railroad men grew restless for to hear the hammers ring
RE SOL RETheir minds were overflowing with the visions of the day
- LA DO RE
With many a fortune won and lost and many a debt to pay... For they
- LA MIm
Looked in the future and what did they see
DO RE They saw an iron road runnin' from the sea to the sea
LA MImBringin the goods to a young growin' land
- DO RE
All up from the seaports and into her hands
- LAm7 RE LAm7 RE
Look away said they across this mighty land
LAm7 RE LAm7 RE From the eastern shore to the western strand
LA MImBring in the workers and bring up the rails
DO REWe've gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
- LA MIm
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood flow
DO RE Gotta get on our way cause we're moving too slow
LA MImBring in the workers and bring up the rails
DO REWe've gotta lay down the tracks and tear up the trails
- LA MIm
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood flow
DO RE Gotta get on our way cause we're moving too slow
DO LA LA7addGGet on our way cause we're movin' too slow...
RE SOL LA7Behind the blue Rockies the sun is declinin'
- RE SOL MI LA LA7
The stars they come stealin' at the close of the day
RE SOL LA7 RE Across the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
RE SOL LA7sus4 REBeyond the dark oceans in a place far away
RE SOL LA7We are the navvies who work upon the railway
- RE SOL MI LA LA7
Swingin our hammers in the bright mornin' sun
RE SOL LA7 Livin' on stew and drinking bad whiskey
RE SOL LA7sus4 REBendin' our old backs till the long days are done
RE SOL LA7We are the navvies who work upon the railway
- RE SOL MI LA LA7
Swingin our hammers in the bright mornin' sun
RE SOL LA7 Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges
RE LA7sus4 REBendin' our old backs till the railroad is done...
LA MImSo over the mountains and over the plains
- DO RE
Into the muskeg and into the rain
LA MIm Up the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe
DO RESwingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay
LA MImDrivin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down
- DO RE
Away to the bunkhouse and into the town
LA MIm A dollar a day and a place for my head
DO LA LA7A drink to the livin' a toast to the dead
RE LAm7 REOh the song of the future has been sung, all the battles have been won
- LAm7 RE
O'er the mountain tops we stand, all the world at our command
LAm7 RE LAm7 LA We have opened up this soil with our teardrops...and our toil... For there
RE SOL REWas a time in this fair land when the railroads did not run
D/C#bass G G6
When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun
- RE SOL RE
And long before the white man and long before the wheel
LA DO RE When the green dark forest was too silent to be real
LA DO REWhen the green dark forest was too silent to be real
- LA DO DOmaj7 RE7
And many are the dead men...too silent... to be real
This is the final,
..checked-for-errors,
..intro-included version.
The song is played with the low
..E-string(s) tuned down to D and
..a capo on
the 3rd fret. The song is mostly
..based in D. This tuning gives
..the D
chord an especially huge sound.
..Try to avoid playing the low D
..on most
chords (except the D). I have put
..a (X) on the chord charts to
..remind you
of this.
Buy, borrow, beg, or steal a
..12-string to play this on! This
..is a *RULE*
for this song!!! :-)
Lightfoot typically seems to
..concentrate on the high strings
..(say the top
four (or 8, if you've got a
..12-string) for the jangly,
..percussive rhythms
and hits bass notes on a main
..beat. For the first three
..verses (and all
the rest just like them), play the
..D/C# bass chord as a regular D
..and just
hit that C# once as a bass note,
..and then the same goes for the B
..note in
the G chord. It sounds
..complicated, but it creates that
..descending bass
pattern on the A string. Just
..play along with the record a
..couple of
times. I'm sure you'll get the
..idea!
Feel that musically-metaphoric
..train chugging along and marvel
..at his
brilliance as he manages to
..combine the rhythm with the
..meaning of the
song...All aboard!!!
Anyway, follow the recording to
..get the rhythms. I finally
..decided to tab
the intro from the Gord's Gold
..album, since that is the version
..most
people seem to be most familiar
..with. Tablature's major
..limitation is the
lack of convenient way to notate
..rhythm. The way to count the
..intro is
"one-two-e-and-a..."
The Chords: (apologies in advance
..for any incorrect names)
D G
..D/C# bass G6
=========== X==========
..X========== X==========
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 2 1 2 1----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3 3 4 3 3 4----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
4----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
LA DOX========== X==========
LAm7 MIm..=========== ===========
- 1 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 1 2 3 2 2 1 2 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
-
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
LA7addG LA7X========== X==========
- MI LA7sus4
..=========== ===========
- 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 1 2 - 2 3 4 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3 - 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
-
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- DOmaj7 RE7
X========== ===========
..=========== ===========
- 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 2 2 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
-
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Intro- RE SOL SOL/DO SOL SOL6
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----2-----2-----2
---3-3-3---3-3-3-----2-----2-----2
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----0-----0-----0
-----------------------0-2--------
-----------------0-2---------0-2--
-0-------0------------------------
...
-|-2-2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2---2-2-2
-|-2-2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2---2-2-2
-|-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0---0-0-0
-|---------------------------2-2-2
-|-----0-3-------0-2-------0------
-|--------------------------------
...
-|-------
-|-------
-|-------
-|-------
-|-------
-|-------
SOL6 RE---2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2-
---2-2-2---2-2-2---3-3-3---3-3-3-
---0-0-0---0-0-0---2-2-2---2-2-2-
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----------------
-0-------0-----------------------
-----------------0-------0-------
...
-|--------------------------------
-|--------------------------------
-|--------------------------------
-|--------------------------------
-|--------------------------------
-|-"There was..."-----------------
...
-|--------
-|--------
-|--------
-|--------
-|--------
-|--------
Verses:
RE SOLThere was a time in this fair land
RE..when the railroads did not run
D/C#bass G
.. G6
When the wild majestic mountains
..stood alone against the sun
RE SOLAnd long before the white man and
- RE
..long before the wheel
LA When the green dark forest was too
DO RE LAm7 RE LAm7 RE..silent to be real
RE SOL REBut time has no beginnings and
..hist'ry has no bounds
D/C#bass G G6
As to this verdant country they
..came from all around
RE SOLThey sailed upon her waterways and
- RE
..they walked the forests tall
And built the mines the mills and
LA DO..the factories for the good of us
- RE LAm7 RE LAm7
..all
- RE SOL
And when the young man's fancy was
RE ..turning in the spring
D/C#bass G
.. G6
The railroad men grew restless for
..to hear the hammers ring
RE SOLTheir minds were overflowing with
RE..the visions of the day
- LA
With many a fortune won and lost
DO RE ..and many a debt to pay... For
..they
- LA MIm
Looked in the future and what did
..they see
- DO
They saw an iron road runnin' from
RE ..the sea to the sea
LA MImBringin the goods to a young
..growin' land
DO REAll up from the seaports and into
..her hands
LAm7 RE LAm7Look away said they across this
RE..mighty land
- LAm7 RE
From the eastern shore to the
LAm7 RE ..western strand
LA MImBring in the workers and bring up
..the rails
DOWe've gotta lay down the tracks
RE..and tear up the trails
- LA MIm
Open 'er heart let the lifeblood
..flow
- DO RE
Gotta get on our way cause we're
..moving too slow
LA MImBring in the workers and bring up
..the rails
DOWe've gotta lay down the tracks
- RE
..and tear up the trails
LA MIm Open 'er heart let the lifeblood
..flow
DO REGotta get on our way cause we're
..moving too slow
DO LAGet on our way cause we're movin'
LA7addG..too slow...
RE SOLBehind the blue Rockies the sun is
- LA7
..declinin'
RE SOL The stars they come stealin' at
MI LA LA7..the close of the day
- RE SOL
Across the wide prairie our loved
LA7 RE ..ones lie sleeping
RE SOLBeyond the dark oceans in a place
- LA7sus4 RE
.. far away
- RE SOL
We are the navvies who work upon
LA7 ..the railway
RE SOL MISwingin our hammers in the bright
- LA LA7
..mornin' sun
RE SOL LA7 Livin' on stew and drinking bad
..whiskey
RE SOLBendin' our old backs till the
LA7sus4 RE..long days are done
RE SOLWe are the navvies who work upon
- LA7
..the railway
RE SOL MI Swingin our hammers in the bright
LA LA7..mornin' sun
- RE SOL
Layin' down track and buildin' the
LA7 ..bridges
REBendin' our old backs till the
- LA7sus4 RE
..railroad is done...
- LA MIm
So over the mountains and over the
..plains
- DO RE
Into the muskeg and into the rain
LA MIm Up the St. Lawrence all the way to
..Gaspe
DO RESwingin' our hammers and drawin'
..our pay
- LA MIm
Drivin' 'em in and tyin' 'em down
DO RE Away to the bunkhouse and into the
..town
LA MImA dollar a day and a place for my
..head
DO LAA drink to the livin' a toast to
LA7..the dead
RE LAm7Oh the song of the future has been
-
..sung, all the battles have been
RE ..won
LAm7O'er the mountain tops we stand,
- RE
..all the world at our command
LAm7 RE We have opened up this soil with
LAm7 LA..our teardrops...and our toil...
..For there
RE SOLWas a time in this fair land when
RE..the railroads did not run
D/C#bass G
.. G6
When the wild majestic mountains
..stood alone against the sun
RE SOLAnd long before the white man and
- RE
..long before the wheel
LA When the green dark forest was too
DO RE..silent to be real
- LA
When the green dark forest was too
DO RE ..silent to be real
LAAnd many are the dead men...too
- DO DOmaj7 RE7
..silent... to be real
- SUONA ANCHE ..
Accordi Testi LIGHTFOOT GORDON Canadian Railroad Trilogy. Skitarrate per suonare la tua musica, studiare scale, posizioni per chitarra, cercare, gestire, richiedere e inviare accordi, testi e spartiti
