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
-
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 2 1 2 1 ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3 3 4 3 3 4----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 4
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- LA DO LAm7 MIm
X========== X========== =========== ===========
1 1 ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 3 2 2 1 2 3----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 3
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
LA7addG LA7 MI LA7sus4X========== 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 REThere 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 RE
And 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 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 SOL RE
They 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 REAnd 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 RE
Their 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 MImLooked in the future and what did they see
DO REThey saw an iron road runnin' from the sea to the sea
- LA MIm
Bringin the goods to a young growin' land
DO RE All up from the seaports and into her hands
LAm7 RE LAm7 RELook away said they across this mighty land
LAm7 RE LAm7 REFrom the eastern shore to the western strand
LA MImBring in the workers and bring up the rails
- DO RE
We've gotta lay down the tracks 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
LA MImBring in the workers and bring up the rails
- DO RE
We've gotta lay down the tracks 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 LA LA7addG
Get on our way cause we're movin' too slow...
- RE SOL LA7
Behind 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 REAcross the wide prairie our loved ones lie sleeping
- RE SOL LA7sus4 RE
Beyond the dark oceans in a place far away
- RE SOL LA7
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
RE SOL MI LA LA7 Swingin our hammers in the bright mornin' sun
RE SOL LA7Livin' on stew and drinking bad whiskey
- RE SOL LA7sus4 RE
Bendin' our old backs till the long days are done
- RE SOL LA7
We are the navvies who work upon the railway
RE SOL MI LA LA7 Swingin our hammers in the bright mornin' sun
RE SOL LA7Layin' down track and buildin' the bridges
- RE LA7sus4 RE
Bendin' our old backs till the railroad is done...
- LA MIm
So over the mountains and over the plains
DO RE Into the muskeg and into the rain
LA MImUp the St. Lawrence all the way to Gaspe
- DO RE
Swingin' 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 LA LA7
A drink to the livin' a toast to the dead
- RE LAm7 RE
Oh 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 LAWe 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 REAnd long before the white man and long before the wheel
LA DO REWhen the green dark forest was too silent to be real
- LA DO RE
When 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
-
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
1 2 2 - 1 2 1
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
3 3 4 - 3 3 4
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- 4
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
- LA DO
X========== 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 RE7X========== ===========
..=========== ===========
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 SOL
There 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 SOLAnd 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 SOL
Their minds were overflowing with
RE ..the visions of the day
LAWith many a fortune won and lost
- DO RE
..and many a debt to pay... For
..they
LA MImLooked in the future and what did
..they see
DOThey saw an iron road runnin' from
- RE
..the sea to the sea
LA MIm Bringin the goods to a young
..growin' land
DO REAll up from the seaports and into
..her hands
- LAm7 RE LAm7
Look away said they across this
RE ..mighty land
LAm7 REFrom the eastern shore to the
- LAm7 RE
..western strand
- LA MIm
Bring in the workers and bring up
..the rails
- DO
We've gotta lay down the tracks
RE ..and tear up the trails
LA MImOpen 'er heart let the lifeblood
..flow
DO REGotta 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 RE
Gotta get on our way cause we're
..moving too slow
- DO LA
Get 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 SOLAcross the wide prairie our loved
- LA7 RE
..ones lie sleeping
RE SOL Beyond the dark oceans in a place
LA7sus4 RE.. far away
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 LA7
Livin' on stew and drinking bad
..whiskey
- RE SOL
Bendin' 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 SOLLayin' down track and buildin' the
- LA7
..bridges
RE Bendin' our old backs till the
LA7sus4 RE..railroad is done...
LA MImSo over the mountains and over the
..plains
DO REInto the muskeg and into the rain
- LA MIm
Up the St. Lawrence all the way to
..Gaspe
- DO RE
Swingin' 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
A 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
LAm7 O'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 SOL
Was 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
LAWhen the green dark forest was too
- DO RE
..silent to be real
LA And many are the dead men...too
DO DOmaj7 RE7..silent... to be real
- SUONA ANCHE ..
Tablature chitarra di 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
