Tuning: E A D G B E

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]

^DI often take these n^Aight shift ^Bmwalks when the f^Goreman's not a^Bmround. I t^Gurn my back on the c^Dooling stacks and make for open g^Around. Far ^Dout beyond the t^Aank farm f^Bmence where the g^Gas flare makes no s^Bmound, I f^Gorget the stink and I a^Dlways think back ^Ato that E^Gastern ^Dtown.

[Verse]

^DI remember back six y^Aears a^Bmgo, this W^Gestern life I ^Bmchose. And ev^Gery day, the ne^Dws would say some factory's going to ^Aclose. Well, I c^Dould have stayed to t^Aake the ^BmDole, but I^G'm not one of t^Bmhose. I take n^Gothing free, and t^Dhat makes me an i^Adiot, ^GI su^Dppose.

[Chorus]

So I b^Gid farewell to the E^Dastern town I n^D/Aever more will s^Aee; But w^Gork I must so I ^Deat this dust and breathe r^Aefinery. Oh I m^Diss the green and the wo^Aods and s^Bmtreams and I d^Gon't like cowboy c^Bmlothes; But I l^Gike being free and t^Dhat makes me an i^Adiot I sup^Dpose.

[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]

So c^Dome all you fine young '^Bmfellers who've been b^Geaten to the g^Bmround. This w^Gestern life's no par^Dadise, but it's better than lying d^Aown. Oh, the s^Dtreets aren't clean, and there's n^Aothing g^Bmreen, and the h^Gills are dirty b^Bmrown, But the g^Government Dole will r^Dot your soul back t^Ahere in your home t^Down.

[Chorus]

So b^Gid farewell to the E^Dastern town you n^D/Aever more will s^Aee. There's s^Gelf-respect and a st^Deady cheque in this refine^Ary. You will m^Diss the green and the ^Awoods and^Bm streams and the d^Gust will fill your n^Bmose. But yo^Gu'll be free, and j^Dust like me, an i^Adiot, I sup^Dpose

Stan Rogers - The idiot