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.
It All Fades Away
Stan Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a picture of the past,
Like the one that I just found of you,
Among many that I had.
I remember I saw you laughing
With my camera close at hand,
We were minutes from a quarrel
You were just a bit excited
And a little more displeased,
How you hated candid pictures
When I took them just to tease.
Then you told me I was crazy,
I said I was born that way,
And we must have said those same two lines
Twenty times a day.
[Chorus]
Now, I'd swear you don't remember why we parted,
Just like I cannot remember why we loved.
Ain't it funny how the past
Takes the better memories last
'Cause the pain fades away, it all fades away.
An unfinished conversation
That I'd somehow like to end,
If I just knew where to find you
Or where a letter could be sent.
But I know I'd not be welcome,
I know you'd nearly die;
All conversations fade away
When the love-light leaves the eye.
[Chorus]
The opening verse of Stan Rogers's song, It All Fades Away, deals with nostalgia and how it can capture even the most mundane moments of the past. The first few lines talk about an unfinished conversation that the singer had with his lover that was captured in a photograph. It's an image from the past that's still vivid in his mind, as if it just happened yesterday. He then goes on to reminisce about how he took candid pictures of her, much to her displeasure. However, even in that moment, there was love, albeit clouded by misunderstanding and quarrels.
The chorus talks about how the past can be funny, where only the best memories linger while the pain fades with time. The singer then ruminates on the idea of reconnecting with his past love, but he knows it's not possible. There's a feeling that their love story ended prematurely, and he wishes he could have closure. But as he muses on this, he recognizes that it's impossible because the light in their eyes for each other has long vanished.
The song's melancholic lyrics and gentle melody reflect upon lost love and the bittersweet memories that remain. It's a reminder that even if something didn't work out, the memories can persist, and they tend to be what we recall most vividly long after the event is over. Overall, the song is a reflection on the transience of time and the limitations of human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
An unfinished conversation
A discussion that was never concluded
In a picture of the past,
Referring to a photo reminiscing of the past
Like the one that I just found of you,
A photo of you that I recently discovered
Among many that I had.
Among numerous other photos I saved
I remember I saw you laughing
I recall capturing an image of you in good spirits
With my camera close at hand,
Holding my camera at the ready
We were minutes from a quarrel
We were on the brink of fighting
And forever from understanding.
But far from a resolution
You were just a bit excited
You were merely agitated
And a little more displeased,
But even more unhappy
How you hated candid pictures
How you loathed photos taken spontaneously
When I took them just to tease.
But I did it to annoy you
Then you told me I was crazy,
You called me insane
I said I was born that way,
But I claimed that I couldn't help it
And we must have said those same two lines
We repeated those phrases over and over again
Twenty times a day.
Numerous times every day
[Chorus]
Now, I'd swear you don't remember why we parted,
I have a feeling that you don't recall the reason we broke up
Just like I cannot remember why we loved.
Similarly, I can't recall the reason we fell in love
Ain't it funny how the past
It's peculiar how the past
Takes the better memories last
Keeps the most cherished memories alive
'Cause the pain fades away,
As the hurt lessens with time
it all fades away.
Everything begins to fade away
An unfinished conversation
An unsettled discussion
That I'd somehow like to end,
One that I wish to resolve
If I just knew where to find you
If only I knew where to locate you
Or where a letter could be sent.
Or where to send a written message
But I know I'd not be welcome,
But I anticipate that you would not welcome me
I know you'd nearly die;
I presume that you would be miserable
All conversations fade away
All dialogues eventually disappear
When the love-light leaves the eye.
When the passion is gone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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