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.
Watching the Apples Grow
Stan Rogers Lyrics
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I wish I grew Annapolis apples up above Fundy Bay
Oh it seems so far away
On the ridge above Acadia's town to the valley down below
The evening shadow falls upon the families listening to the radio
And watching the apples grow.
Down on the farm, back among the family, away from Ontario
Hear the ladies singing to the men, dancing it heel and toe
And watching the apples grow.
Ontario, why'know I've seen a place I'd rather be
Your scummy lakes and the City of Toronto don't do a damn thing for me
I'd rather live by the sea.
I've watched the V's of geese go by, the foxfoot in the snow
I've climbed the ridge of Gaspereaux Mt., looking to the valley below
And watching the apples grow.
(Repeat Chorus twice)
The lyrics of Stan Rogers's "Watching the Apples Grow" convey the singer's yearning for a simpler life on an apple farm in Acadia or Fundy Bay, compared to his current existence in Ontario. The song begins with the singer waking up on an Ontario farm and expressing his wish to be in Acadia, where he could grow "Annapolis apples" and be surrounded by the natural beauty of the region. He then describes how, in Acadia, families listen to the radio in the evening and watch the apples grow. The chorus of the song highlights the joy and community that can be found in the countryside, away from city life. The singer concludes the song by expressing his preference for living by the sea, having observed the migration of geese and explored the ridges of Gaspereaux Mt, while watching apples grow.
Throughout the lyrics, the apple orchard serves as a symbol of the idyllic life the singer longs for. By choosing to focus on the growth and harvesting of apples, Rogers highlights the gentle, cyclical rhythms of farm life - activities that could be shared with family and neighbors, as expressed by the dancing and singing of the ladies in the chorus. The lyrics evoke a nostalgia for a simpler, closer-knit way of life, along with the natural beauty of Acadia.
Line by Line Meaning
It's early up Ontario farm, Chicken crow for day
The sun is rising on an Ontario farm while a rooster crows.
I wish I grew Annapolis apples up above Fundy Bay
The singer wishes they could grow Annapolis apples in Fundy Bay.
Oh it seems so far away
The idea of growing apples in Fundy Bay feels distant.
On the ridge above Acadia's town to the valley down below
From the ridge above Acadia's town, the artist can see down into the valley below.
The evening shadow falls upon the families listening to the radio
As the sun sets, families are gathered together, listening to the radio, while shadows are cast upon them.
And watching the apples grow.
The families are also watching apples grow in the nearby orchard.
Down on the farm, back among the family, away from Ontario
The singer is happy to be on a farm with family, far away from Ontario.
Hear the ladies singing to the men, dancing it heel and toe
The women are singing and dancing with the men.
And watching the apples grow.
Everyone is also watching the apples grow, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.
Ontario, why'know I've seen a place I'd rather be
The artist doesn't like Ontario and has seen better places.
Your scummy lakes and the City of Toronto don't do a damn thing for me
The lakes and city in Ontario are unappealing to the singer.
I'd rather live by the sea.
The artist would prefer to live by the ocean.
I've watched the V's of geese go by, the foxfoot in the snow
The singer has observed formations of geese flying overhead and the tracks of a fox in the snow.
I've climbed the ridge of Gaspereaux Mt., looking to the valley below
The singer has climbed Gaspereaux Mountain and looked down into the valley.
And watching the apples grow.
From the mountain, the singer has also been watching the apples grow, finding peace and contentment in the simple act.
(Repeat Chorus twice)
The chorus repeats twice, emphasizing the joy and peace found in being on a farm, away from the noise and stress of the city.
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