This is one of my favorite songs from the Live in Halifax album. The lyrics strike close to home and it has a
great throbbing, knuckle-dragging, Neanderthal kind of rhythm. This coupled with Stan Rogers's voice makes an
amazing song.
From what I can tell based on this track most of the chords out there are slightly off, but I guess that may
be just me. There are some fill lick/riff/things that I could not quite figure out, but they seem to be a
variation of the "Travis" picking pattern. From what I can figure it is something like this,
(the strings change based on the chord, but this should be the pattern):
E|------------------|
A|----------0-------|
D|--0---0-----------|
G|------2-------2---|
B|------3-----3-----|
e|------2---------2-|
That could be very wrong, if anyone has anything better let me know! I believe it is also this or something
similar that is played for most of the song.
In some places it can be heard clearly-(ish) and sounds more like this:
E|------------------|
A|----------0-------|
D|--0---0-----------|
G|------2-----2-----|
B|------3-------3---|
e|------2---------2-|
Also, Stan seems to use an odd tuning for most of his songs, but I could not tell if this was one of them,
I tried to use it but couldn't make it work. His tuning is a variation of DADGAD and can be decently
replicated as such. From what I can tell his exact tuning is: DADGBD.
Anyway, with due apologies to my fellow Albertans and Ontarians, but no apologies to Morris Dancers, here is
my rendition of The Idiot by Stan Rogers.
[Intro] (D Chord)
E|------------------|-------------------|
A|------------------|-------------------|
D|--0---0---0-------|--0---0---0--------|
G|------------2-----|----------2--------|
B|--------------3---|----------3--------|
e|----------------2-|----------2--------|
[Verse]
D A Bm G Bm
I often take these night shift walks when the foreman's not around.
G D A
I turn my back on the cooling stacks and make for open ground.
D A Bm G Bm
Far out beyond the tank farm fence where the gas flare makes no sound,
G D A G D
I forget the stink and I always think back to that Eastern town.
[Verse]
D A Bm G Bm
I remember back six years ago, this Western life I chose.
G D A
And every day, the news would say some factory's going to close.
D A Bm G Bm
Well, I could have stayed to take the Dole, but I'm not one of those.
G D A G D
I take nothing free, and that makes me an idiot, I suppose.
[Chorus]
G D D/A A
So I bid farewell to the Eastern town I never more will see;
G D A
But work I must so I eat this dust and breathe refinery.
D A Bm G Bm
Oh I miss the green and the woods and streams and I don't like cowboy clothes;
G D A D
But I like being free and that makes me an idiot I suppose.
[Break] (same as verse with a fiddle playing the melody)
D A Bm G Bm
G D A
D A Bm G Bm
G D A D
[Verse]
D Bm G Bm
So come all you fine young 'fellers who've been beaten to the ground.
G D A
This western life's no paradise, but it's better than lying down.
D A Bm G Bm
Oh, the streets aren't clean, and there's nothing green, and the hills are dirty brown,
G D A D
But the government Dole will rot your soul back there in your home town.
[Chorus]
G D D/A A
So bid farewell to the Eastern town you never more will see.
G D A
There's self-respect and a steady cheque in this refinery.
D A Bm G Bm
You will miss the green and the woods and streams and the dust will fill your nose.
G D A D
But you'll be free, and just like me, an idiot, I suppose
