Canadian Railroad Trilogy chords by Gordon Lightfoot
Guitar chords with lyrics
Canadian Railroad Trilogy, by Gordon Lightfoot (C) 1967, 1969 Warner Brothers. ============================================== Transcribed by me, Matthew Fifer View this on an 80 character screen, with a monospaced font, in order to have everything line up properly. The Notes: --------- This is the final, checked-for-errors, intro-included version.
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Accuracy Rating: - Votes: -
The song is played with the low E-string(s) tuned down to D and a capo on
the 3rd fret. The song is mostly based in D. This tuning gives the D
chord an especially huge sound. Try to avoid playing the low D on most
chords (except the D). I have put a (X) on the chord charts to remind you
of this.
Buy, borrow, beg, or steal a 12-string to play this on! This is a *RULE*
for this song!!! :-)
Lightfoot typically seems to concentrate on the high strings (say the top
four (or 8, if you've got a 12-string) for the jangly, percussive rhythms
and hits bass notes on a main beat. For the first three verses (and all
the rest just like them), play the D/C# bass chord as a regular D and just
hit that C# once as a bass note, and then the same goes for the B note in
the G chord. It sounds complicated, but it creates that descending bass
pattern on the A string. Just play along with the record a couple of
times. I'm sure you'll get the idea!
Feel that musically-metaphoric train chugging along and marvel at his
brilliance as he manages to combine the rhythm with the meaning of the
song...All aboard!!!
Anyway, follow the recording to get the rhythms. I finally decided to tab
the intro from the Gord's Gold album, since that is the version most
people seem to be most familiar with. Tablature's major limitation is the
lack of convenient way to notate rhythm. The way to count the intro is
"one-two-e-and-a..."
The Chords: (apologies in advance for any incorrect names)
----------
D G D/C# bass G6
=========== X========== X========== X==========
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | | 1 | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | 3 | | | | | 3 4 | | | | 3 | | | | | 3 4
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
A C Am7 Em
X========== X========== =========== ===========
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | 1 2 3 | | | 2 | | | | | 2 | | | 1 2 3 | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
A7addG A7 E A7sus4
X========== X========== =========== ===========
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | 1 | 2 | | | 1 | 2 | 2 3 4 | | | | | 1 | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Cmaj7 D7
X========== =========== =========== ===========
| | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | 2 | | | | | | 2 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
Intro:
-----
D G G/C G G6
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----2-----2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2---2-2-2-------
---3-3-3---3-3-3-----2-----2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2-----2-2-2---2-2-2-------
---2-2-2---2-2-2-----0-----0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-----0-0-0---0-0-0-------
-----------------------0-2-----------------------------------2-2-2-------
-----------------0-2---------0-2-------0-3-------0-2-------0-------------
-0-------0---------------------------------------------------------------
G6 D
---2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2---2-2-2-----------------------------------------
---2-2-2---2-2-2---3-3-3---3-3-3-----------------------------------------
---0-0-0---0-0-0---2-2-2---2-2-2-----------------------------------------
---2-2-2---2-2-2---------------------------------------------------------
-0-------0---------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------0-------0--------"There was..."-------------------------
Verses:
------
D G D
There ..
D/C#bass G G6
When ..
D G D
And ..
A C D Am7 D Am7 D
When ..
D G D
But ..
D/C#bass G G6
As..
D G D
They..
A C D Am7 D Am7
And ..
D G D
And ..
D/C#bass G G6
The..
D G D
Their ..
A C D
With ..
A Em
Looked ..
C D
They ..
A Em
Bringin ..
C D
All up ..
Am7 D Am7 D
Look ..
Am7 D Am7 D
From..
A Em
Bring..
C D
We've ..
A Em
Open 'er..
C D
Gotta..
A Em
Bring ..
C D
We've ..
A Em
Open ..
C D
Gotta ..
C A A7addG
Get on ...
D G A7
Behind ..
D G E A A7
The ..
D G A7 D
Across..
D G A7sus4 D
Beyond ..
D G A7
We are..
D G E A A7
Swingin ..
D G A7
Livin' ..
D G A7sus4 D
Bendin' ..
D G A7
We are..
D G E A A7
Swingin ..
D G A7
Layin' ..
D A7sus4 D
Bendin' ....
A Em
So ..
C D
Into ..
A Em
Up the ..
C D
Swingin' ..
A Em
Drivin' ..
C D
Away ..
A Em
A ..
C A A7
A drink..
D Am7 D
Oh t..
Am7 D
O'er..
Am7 D Am7 A
We ..
D G D
Was a..
D/C#bass G G6
When ..
D G D
And ..
A C D
When ..
A C D
When ..
A C Cmaj7 D7
And ..
================================================================================
As always, comments or corrections may be e-mailed to me or posted.
Either way, I'll see 'em and take note. Enjoy this one -- it's a classic
12-string tune.
-- Matthew
Canadian Railroad Trilogy chords
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Canadian Railroad Trilogy by Gordon Lightfoot guitar chords playing instructions.