Rogers was noted for his rich, baritone voice and his traditional-sounding songs which were frequently inspired by Canadian history and the daily lives of working people, especially those from the fishing villages of the Maritime provinces and, later, the farms of the Canadian prairies and Great Lakes. Rogers died in a fire aboard Air Canada Flight 797 on the ground at the Greater Cincinnati Airport at the age of 33.
Rogers was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the eldest son of Nathan Allison Rogers and Valerie (née Bushell) Rogers, two Maritimers who had relocated to Ontario in search of work shortly after their marriage in July 1948. Although Rogers was raised in Binbrook, Ontario, he often spent summers visiting family in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.
It was there that he became familiar with the way of life in the Maritimes, an influence which was to have a profound impact on his subsequent musical development. He was interested in music from an early age, reportedly beginning to sing shortly after learning to speak. He received his first guitar, a miniature hand-built by his uncle Lee Bushell, when he was five years of age. He was exposed to a variety of music influences, but among the most lasting were the country and western tunes his uncles would sing during family get-togethers. Throughout his childhood, he would practice his singing and playing along with his brother Garnet, six years his junior.
While Rogers was attending Saltfleet High School, Stoney Creek, Ontario, he started to meet other young people interested in folk music, although at this time he was dabbling in rock and roll, singing and playing bass guitar in garage bands such as "Stanley and the Living Stones" and "The Hobbits". After high school, Rogers briefly attended both McMaster University and Trent University, where he performed in small venues with other student musicians, including Ian Tamblyn, Chris Ward and fellow Hobbit Nigel Russell. Russell wrote the song "White Collar Holler", which Rogers sang frequently on stage.
Rogers signed with RCA Records in 1970 and recorded two singles: "Here's to You Santa Claus" in 1970, and "The Fat Girl Rag" in 1971. In 1973, Rogers recorded three singles for Polygram: "Three Pennies", "Guysborough Train", and "Past Fifty."
In 1976, Rogers recorded his debut album, Fogarty's Cove, released in 1977 on Barnswallow Records. The album's subject matter dealt almost entirely with life in maritime Canada, and was an immediate success. Rogers then formed Fogarty's Cove Music, and bought Barnswallow during the production of Turnaround, allowing him to release his own albums. Posthumously, additional albums were released.[citation needed]
Rogers' songs often had a Celtic feel which was due, in part, to his frequent use of DADGAD guitar tuning. He regularly used his William 'Grit' Laskin built 12-string guitar in his performances. His best-known pieces include "Northwest Passage", "Barrett's Privateers", "The Mary Ellen Carter", "Make and Break Harbour", "The Idiot", "Fogarty's Cove", and "White Squall".
Rogers died alongside 22 other passengers most likely of smoke inhalation on June 2, 1983, while traveling on Air Canada Flight 797 (a McDonnell Douglas DC-9) after performing at the Kerrville Folk Festival. The airliner was flying from Dallas, Texas, to Toronto and Montreal when a fire of unknown ignition source within the vanity or toilet shroud of the aft washroom forced it to make an emergency landing at the Greater Cincinnati Airport in northern Kentucky.
There were initially no visible flames, and after attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, smoke filled the cabin. Upon landing, the plane's doors were opened, allowing the five crew and 18 of the passengers to escape, but approximately 60 to 90 seconds into the evacuation the oxygen rushing in from outside caused a flash fire. Rogers had initially been one of the passengers to escape, but he at some point re-entered the plane to assist in the effort to help others escape.
Rogers' legacy includes his recordings, songbook, and plays for which he was commissioned to write music. His songs are still frequently covered by other musicians, and are perennial favourites at Canadian campfires and song circles. Members of Rogers' band, including his brother Garnet Rogers, continue to be active performers and form a significant part of the fabric of contemporary Canadian folk music. Following his death, he was nominated for the 1984 Juno Awards in the category for Best Male Vocalist. That same year, he was posthumously awarded the Diplôme d’Honneur of the Canadian Conference of the Arts. In 1994, his posthumous live album Home in Halifax was likewise nominated for Best Roots and Traditional Album.
Stan's son, Nathan Rogers, is also an established Canadian folk artist with a voice and lyrical acumen similar to his father's. He has released two critically acclaimed solo discs and tours internationally as a solo act and in the trio Dry Bones.
Famous Inside
Stan Rogers Lyrics
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"You'd think he'd have more sense at his age,
The crazy old man in the old tam-o-shanter's
Getting carried away."
Sometimes it's almost too much to stand,
But it's not my place to take you in hand.
It used to be a man and his madness
It's strange how things will stick in the mind.
You'd think the years would leave them behind,
But long ago moments as a winner
Kind of push the recent memories aside.
Symptomatic, you say, of old age,
But it's something that nobody can gage.
It may be that I've sorted out the memories I can keep
And thrown the others away.
There's some who would say, "Just let him sit and decay",
But I really can't believe that it's true.
There's bits of yourself you always have to live up to
If only for a moment or two!
There's little time to spend sitting down,
When feeling good means moving around,
And I can't be blamed if I remember my name
And why it made me so proud.
There's some who would say, "Just let him sit and decay",
But I really can't believe that it's true!
There's bits of yourself you always have to live up to,
If only for a moment or two!
At my age I do as I choose,
And shouldn't need to make an excuse.
I know that you all feel a little famous inside
And I'm no different than you.
I know that you all feel a little famous inside,
And I'm no different than you.
The lyrics of "Famous Inside" by Stan Rogers convey the idea of aging and how it affects one's perspective on memories and their own identity. The singer in the song acknowledges that some might view him as a "crazy old man" getting carried away with past experiences, but he maintains that it's not his place to be stopped, as there is something sacred about one's madness. The song reflects on the way old memories stick in the mind and the way that certain moments can make one feel as though they are a winner, even years later.
The singer suggests that this may be a symptom of old age, but it's something that nobody can truly measure. There are memories that one keeps and others that are thrown away, perhaps through a process of sorting them out. The song acknowledges the view of some that an aging person should just sit and decay, but the singer doesn't believe that's true - there are always bits of oneself to live up to, even if only for a moment or two.
Overall, "Famous Inside" is a contemplative song that captures the experience of aging and the way that it shapes one's relationship to their own past. The singer is defiant in their refusal to be stopped or held down by others, and the song ultimately acknowledges the universal desire to feel "famous inside" - to live a life that is meaningful and remembered.
Line by Line Meaning
I can almost hear some of you say,
I sense some may think that I'm acting insane.
"You'd think he'd have more sense at his age,
"Surely, he ought to have more wisdom at his stage."
The crazy old man in the old tam-o-shanter's
They criticize the insane old man wearing a hat.
Getting carried away."
They imply that he's losing control, not okay.
Sometimes it's almost too much to stand,
At times, it's almost unbearable to bear.
But it's not my place to take you in hand.
But, it's not my job to help you understand.
It used to be a man and his madness
It was once okay to be eccentric, to each his business.
Were as sacred as the coming of day.
As revered as the morning sun's very first ray.
It's strange how things will stick in the mind.
It's peculiar how certain things in memory can bind.
You'd think the years would leave them behind,
You'd expect those memories to be left unrefined.
But long ago moments as a winner
But past triumphs overshadow newer dinner.
Kind of push the recent memories aside.
These moments tend to take newer memories for a ride.
Symptomatic, you say, of old age,
You might claim it's a symptom of getting senile with age.
But it's something that nobody can gage.
Although no one can accurately judge or gauge.
It may be that I've sorted out the memories I can keep
Perhaps, I've only retained what I want to recollect and keep.
And thrown the others away.
As for the others, they have been thrown astray.
There's some who would say, "Just let him sit and decay",
There are those who feel he should sit and rot in his own clay.
But I really can't believe that it's true.
But, I strongly disagree with this point of view.
There's bits of yourself you always have to live up to
There's a part of you that you must constantly live up to.
If only for a moment or two!
Even if it's only for a while, it's still very true!
There's little time to spend sitting down,
There's not a lot of time for idle sitting around.
When feeling good means moving around,
When one feels good when one can get up and be unbound.
And I can't be blamed if I remember my name
I can't be blamed if my name in my heart inflames.
And why it made me so proud.
And why it has always been a source of pride unbowd.
At my age I do as I choose,
At my age, I'm free to do as I please, no misuse.
And shouldn't need to make an excuse.
I shouldn't have to justify or make any excuse.
I know that you all feel a little famous inside
I know you also feel like you have some fame inside.
And I'm no different than you.
And I'm no different than any one of you.
I know that you all feel a little famous inside,
I know you too all have that pride inside.
And I'm no different than you.
I'm no different than anyone who feels pride as they do.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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