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.
Louise's Song
Stan Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your note came yesterday,
But, yesterday was crazy;
There was much to square away.
Then I tried to come this morning,
But the old car wouldn't run
And the buses run so slowly,
There was nothing to be done.
But you, you don't need my troubles,
I'm here now, anyway,
And there's nothing left behind me
To say I cannot stay.
When I told you that I love you,
I said' "Call me anytime,
And especially when you need someone
When things get out of line"â?¦
[Chorus]
And oh, there's a burning in your eyes
And the hand you put in mine won't stop trembling.
Oh, tell me what you're going through,
Cause all I want to do is be protecting.
No! All those shadows on your face,
They look so out of place, they should be sunlight.
I want to take you when the smile returns
And keep you from the night
And wake up to see me in your eyes.
I don't know how we happened,
When we're kept so far apart.
There sure are lots worse prisons
Than the kind with iron bars;
And it almost makes me crazy
To see you hurt inside,
When you're beautiful and really need
To let things open wide.
Chorus:
The song "Louise's Song" by Canadian singer-songwriter Stan Rogers is a ballad about the singer's love for a woman named Louise. The song starts with the singer apologizing for being late to meet her, owing to a hectic day and a car that wouldn't start. He assures her that he's there for her now, that he loves her, and that he'll always be there for her whenever she needs him. But Louise is clearly going through a difficult time, as evidenced by the burning in her eyes, her trembling hand, and the shadows on her face. The singer wants to know what's wrong, wants to protect her, and wants to see her smile again.
The chorus of the song conveys the singer's empathy for Louise's pain and his desire to be there for her. He wants to understand what she's going through and help her escape the shadows that obscure her smile. The metaphor of prison is used to describe their separation, even though they are physically in the same place. Louise's pain and the singer's love for her are the walls that keep them apart.
Overall, "Louise's Song" is a deeply emotional and empathetic ballad about love and pain. The singer's desire to protect Louise and help her through her pain is palpable, and the metaphor of prison creates a poignant sense of longing and separation.
Line by Line Meaning
I would have been here sooner,
I apologize for being late, but there were some things that prevented me from arriving earlier.
Your note came yesterday,
I received your message yesterday.
But, yesterday was crazy;
However, my day was filled with hectic events.
There was much to square away.
I had a lot of things to handle.
Then I tried to come this morning,
I attempted to come this morning.
But the old car wouldn't run
However, my old car wouldn't start.
And the buses run so slowly,
In addition, the buses were moving at a sluggish pace.
There was nothing to be done.
There was nothing I could do to speed things up.
But you, you don't need my troubles,
I don't want to burden you with my problems.
I'm here now, anyway,
I'm here now, regardless of how late I am.
And there's nothing left behind me
There's nothing holding me back right now.
To say I cannot stay.
I am free to stay and be with you.
When I told you that I love you,
I meant it when I said that I care for you deeply.
I said' "Call me anytime,
I want you to feel comfortable reaching out to me whenever you need someone to talk to.
And especially when you need someone
I want to be there for you whenever you are going through a tough time.
When things get out of line"â?¦
And when life becomes too difficult to handle.
[Chorus]
Recurring refrain
And oh, there's a burning in your eyes
I can see that you are hurting deeply and it pains me to see you this way.
And the hand you put in mine won't stop trembling.
I can feel how nervous and anxious you are about something and I want to help calm you down.
Oh, tell me what you're going through,
Please open up to me and share what's troubling you.
Cause all I want to do is be protecting.
I want to be there for you and protect you from harm.
No! All those shadows on your face,
The sadness and pain on your face are not right and it upsets me.
They look so out of place, they should be sunlight.
You are a beautiful person and you deserve happiness.
I want to take you when the smile returns
I want to be with you when you are happy and smiling once again.
And keep you from the night
I want to protect you from the darkness and sadness you are facing.
And wake up to see me in your eyes.
I want to be the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning, and always be there for you.
I don't know how we happened,
I'm not exactly sure how we ended up together.
When we're kept so far apart.
Considering how far apart we live from each other.
There sure are lots worse prisons
There are many worse situations we could be facing.
Than the kind with iron bars;
Prison cells with bars are not the only kind of prison.
And it almost makes me crazy
It pains me to see you hurting so deeply.
To see you hurt inside,
To see you go through such emotional pain.
When you're beautiful and really need
You are a wonderful person and deserve to be happy.
To let things open wide.
You deserve to open yourself up to the world and all its possibilities.
Chorus:
Recurring refrain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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