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.
Your 'Laker's' Back in Town
Stan Rogers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Searching through the harbour,
And out across the bay.
His ring is on your hand;
He called you up from Cleveland yesterday.
Now who's he left behind?
The weather's fine, he'll soon be coming 'round,
I try to hold you closer,
Every forty days
He leaves you lying sleeping,
And clears for Thunder Bay.
You call me on the job,
And cry about how long he'll be away.
You need a country band,
A cheap hotel and me to run around,
But for now it's over,
Your laker's back in town.
A distant whistle moans across the bay,
Pulls us apart?
The singer says, "We're gonna slow things down."
Your cheating heart sounds like a clock run down,
Your laker's back in town.
He comes in looking like he owns the place
And he knows you're here.
The singer hollers, "It's the final round."
The final beer feels like a rock going down.
Your laker's back in town.
The band has gone away,
They're clearing off the tables,
And giving me the eye.
You took him out the door,
And never thought to turn to say goodbye,
And I'm the crying fool,
I know that you will call and I'll be 'round
To try to hold you closer,
'Til your laker's back in town.
And try to hold you closer,
'Til your laker's back in town.
In "Your ‘Laker’s’ Back in Town," Stan Rogers sings about a woman whose lover is a sailor who works on a freighter named "Laker." She is left alone every forty days when he sails away to Thunder Bay, and though she has a ring on her finger, she turns to the singer for comfort while he is gone. Whenever her "Laker" returns, she must leave the singer’s arms to be with him. The singer is a self-proclaimed "crying fool," who knows that she will call for him again once the sailor leaves again.
Throughout the song, Rogers portrays a sense of longing, loneliness, and betrayal. The woman turns to the singer, but only when her true love is away, causing a sense of tension between the three characters involved: the woman, the sailor, and the singer. The lyrics suggest that the sailor is oblivious to the singer's relationship with the woman, happy and content when he returns and gains back his love. The song’s melancholic tone is amplified by the musical arrangement, which features a slow and mournful melody, along with the harmonica and the guitar's twang that accompany Rogers’ voice.
The song's backstory is based on the real life of one of Rogers' childhood friends. It's said that Rogers was inspired to write the song after visiting his hometown and seeing his friend's daughter waiting by the harbour for her seafaring father. Interestingly, during his lifetime, Rogers never recorded any commercial albums but found fame after his death when his music became popular in Canada and the United States. People loved his music, and it gained cult status in his home country after his death, with many artists covering his songs. He is considered a Canadian legend, and "Your ‘Laker’s’ Back in Town" is often cited as one of his best songs.
Line by Line Meaning
I see it in your eyes,
From the look in your eyes, I can tell that you are scanning the harbor and looking out towards the bay, eagerly waiting for your partner's vessel to arrive.
Searching through the harbour,
You are scanning the harbor, looking for any signs of your partner's arrival, and hoping to spot their boat as soon as possible.
And out across the bay.
Your eyes are fixated on the horizon, trying to catch a glimpse of your partner's boat on the distant waters of the bay.
His ring is on your hand;
You are wearing your partner's ring on your finger, a symbol of your commitment and connection to each other.
He called you up from Cleveland yesterday.
Your partner called you yesterday from Cleveland to let you know when to expect their arrival back in town.
Now who's he left behind?
You wonder who your partner has left behind in Cleveland, and whether they have any other obligations or relationships besides you.
The weather's fine, he'll soon be coming 'round,
The weather is pleasant, which means that your partner's boat will likely arrive soon, and you are eagerly anticipating their return.
I try to hold you closer,
I attempt to draw you closer to myself, hoping to comfort and support you during this challenging time of waiting and transition.
But your laker's back in town.
Despite my best efforts, you are ultimately drawn to your partner's boat and the excitement of their arrival, leaving me behind for the time being.
Every forty days
Your partner leaves you for long stretches of time, typically every 40 days or so, to travel on their boat for work or other purposes.
He leaves you lying sleeping,
Your partner departs while you are asleep, and you wake up to find them gone, feeling lonely and anxious about how long they will be away.
And clears for Thunder Bay.
Your partner's boat is headed to Thunder Bay, a destination that they regularly visit as part of their work as a sailor or bass fisherman.
You call me on the job,
While your partner is away, you often call me while I am working, seeking companionship, support, and a listening ear.
And cry about how long he'll be away.
You frequently cry and express sadness about how long your partner will be away, and how much you miss them during these extended periods apart.
You need a country band,
Sometimes, in order to cope with the loneliness and boredom of being apart from your partner, you seek out lively and energetic music, particularly from a country band.
A cheap hotel and me to run around,
In addition to music, you also crave the excitement and adrenaline rush of running around with someone else, particularly in a cheap hotel or motel setting.
But for now it's over,
However, now that your partner has returned to town, you are putting your plans for running around and seeking companionship on hold, at least for the time being.
Your laker's back in town.
Your partner's boat and all of the excitement and anticipation that surrounds its arrival has finally returned to town, leaving you feeling invigorated and alive once again.
A distant whistle moans across the bay,
You hear a distant whistle blowing from your partner's boat or another vessel on the bay, signaling their imminent arrival and heightening your sense of anticipation.
Pulls us apart?
Perhaps this sound foreshadows how your partner's regular absences and long durations away will continue to put a strain on our relationship and create distance between us.
The singer says, "We're gonna slow things down."
The performer on stage announces that the pace and tone of the music is going to slow down, signaling a change in atmosphere in the bar or venue you are located in.
Your cheating heart sounds like a clock run down,
You feel guilty and anxious about seeking out other connections while your partner is away, and perhaps even guilty about your excitement and eagerness about their arrival back home.
Your laker's back in town.
However, now that your partner has returned, you try to push those guilty emotions to the side, and focus on the excitement and joy of their homecoming for the time being.
He comes in looking like he owns the place
Your partner emerges from their boat looking confident and self-assured, as if they are the master of this territory and at ease in their environment.
And he knows you're here.
Your partner recognizes your presence in the bar or venue you are located in, and immediately begins to hone in on your location and where you are standing.
The singer hollers, "It's the final round."
The performer on stage declares that they are performing the last song or set of the night, signaling a sense of finality and winding down of the evening's activities.
The final beer feels like a rock going down.
You feel a sense of heaviness and finality as you swallow the last beer of the night, knowing that your evening with your partner is drawing to a close and you will soon have to part ways again.
Your laker's back in town.
Despite your sadness and trepidation about your partner's upcoming departure, you can't help feel a sense of excitement and joy about their recent arrival and the opportunity to spend some quality time with them once again.
The band has gone away,
The band that you were enjoying earlier in the evening has now finished playing their final set and has departed the stage or venue.
They're clearing off the tables,
The waitstaff and other employees of the venue are starting to clear off the tables and chairs, signaling that the night is coming to an end.
And giving me the eye.
The employees and other patrons of the bar or venue are noticing your attachment to your partner and are perhaps giving you concerned or judgmental looks because of it.
You took him out the door,
You and your partner decide to leave the venue together, holding hands and enjoying each other's company as you walk towards the exit.
And never thought to turn to say goodbye,
You forget to say goodbye to me or other people you know in the venue, too focused on your excitement and the rush of seeing your partner once again.
And I'm the crying fool,
You realize that you may have hurt me or other people in your life by forgetting to say goodbye, and feel foolish or stupid as a result.
I know that you will call and I'll be 'round
However, you remain confident that you will call me or other people you know for support and companionship again soon, and that we will be there for you when you need us.
To try to hold you closer,
When you reach out to me or other people you trust, you hope to find comfort and affection, even if only for a brief time.
Til your laker's back in town.
However, for the time being, your primary focus and attention is on your partner's return and your excitement about being reunited with them after so much time apart.
Contributed by Kylie S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.