Chords with lyrics
Canadian Railroad Trilogy, by Gordon Lightfoot (
C majorC) 1967, 1969 Warner Brothers.
==============================================
Transcribed by me, Matthew Fifer
View this on an 80 character screen, with a monospaced font, in order to
have everything line up properly.
The Notes:
---------
This is the final, checked-for-errors, intro-included version.
The song is played with the low E-string(s) tuned down to 
D MajorD and a capo on
the 3rd fret. The song is mostly based in D. This tuning gives the D MajorD
chord an especially huge sound. Try to avoid playing the low D MajorD on most
chords (except the D MajorD). 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 MajorD and just
hit that 
C#C# once as a bass note, and then the same goes for the 
BB note in
the 
G+G chord. It sounds complicated, but it creates that descending bass
pattern on the 
A augmentedA 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 MajorD G+G D/C# bass 
G6G6
=========== X========== X========== X==========
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | | 1 | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | 3 | | | | | 3 4 | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 4
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
A augmentedA C majorC 
Am7Am7 
E minorEm
X========== X========== =========== ===========
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | 1 2 3 | | | 2 | | | | | 2 | | | 1 2 3 | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
A7addG 
A7A7 
E MajorE 
A7sus4A7sus4
X========== X========== =========== ===========
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | 1 | 2 | | | 1 | 2 | 2 3 4 | | | | | 1 | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Cmaj7Cmaj7 
D7D7
X========== =========== =========== ===========
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | 2 | | | | | | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Intro:
-----
D MajorD G+G G/C G+G G6G6
---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---------------------------------------------------------------
G6G6 D MajorD
---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:
------
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
There ..
D/C#bass G+G G6G6
When ..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
And ..
A augmentedA C majorC D MajorD Am7Am7 D MajorD Am7Am7 D MajorD
When ..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
But ..
D/C#bass G+G G6G6
As..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
They..
A augmentedA C majorC D MajorD Am7Am7 D MajorD Am7Am7
And ..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
And ..
D/C#bass G+G G6G6
The..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
Their ..
A augmentedA C majorC D MajorD
With ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Looked ..
C majorC D MajorD
They ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Bringin ..
C majorC D MajorD
All up ..
Am7Am7 D MajorD Am7Am7 D MajorD
Look ..
Am7Am7 D MajorD Am7Am7 D MajorD
From..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Bring..
C majorC D MajorD
We've ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Open 'er..
C majorC D MajorD
Gotta..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Bring ..
C majorC D MajorD
We've ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Open ..
C majorC D MajorD
Gotta ..
C majorC A augmentedA A7addG
Get on ...
D MajorD G+G A7A7
Behind ..
D MajorD G+G E MajorE A augmentedA A7A7
The ..
D MajorD G+G A7A7 D MajorD
Across..
D MajorD G+G A7sus4A7sus4 D MajorD
Beyond ..
D MajorD G+G A7A7
We are..
D MajorD G+G E MajorE A augmentedA A7A7
Swingin ..
D MajorD G+G A7A7
Livin' ..
D MajorD G+G A7sus4A7sus4 D MajorD
Bendin' ..
D MajorD G+G A7A7
We are..
D MajorD G+G E MajorE A augmentedA A7A7
Swingin ..
D MajorD G+G A7A7
Layin' ..
D MajorD A7sus4A7sus4 D MajorD
Bendin' ....
A augmentedA E minorEm
So ..
C majorC D MajorD
Into ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Up the ..
C majorC D MajorD
Swingin' ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
Drivin' ..
C majorC D MajorD
Away ..
A augmentedA E minorEm
A augmentedA ..
C majorC A augmentedA A7A7
A augmentedA drink..
D MajorD Am7Am7 D MajorD
Oh t..
Am7Am7 D MajorD
O'er..
Am7Am7 D MajorD Am7Am7 A augmentedA
We ..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
Was a..
D/C#bass G+G G6G6
When ..
D MajorD G+G D MajorD
And ..
A augmentedA C majorC D MajorD
When ..
A augmentedA C majorC D MajorD
When ..
A augmentedA C majorC Cmaj7Cmaj7 D7D7
And ..
================================================================================
As always, comments or corrections may be e-mailed to me or posted.
Either way, I'll see 'em and take note. Enjoy this one -- it's a classic
12-string tune.
-- Matthew
