From: Barrie McCombs
THE FIELD BEHIND THE PLOW Time: 2/2 (sync) Tenor: G Bass: C
— Stan Rogers: 1981, on: Northwest Passage
INTRO: 1, 1
1 * 5 4 1
Watch the field behind the plow, turn to straight dark rows
2m * 4 5
Feel the trickle in your clothes, blow the dustcake from your nose
1 * 5 4 1
Hear the tractor’s steady roar, oh you can’t stop now
2m 57 1 *
There’s a quarter section more or less to go
1 * 5 4 1
And it figures that the rain keeps it’s own sweet time
2m * 4 5
You can watch it come for miles, but you guess you’ve got a while
1 * 5 4 1
So ease the throttle out a hair, every rod’s a gain
2m 57 1 *
There’s victory in every quarter mile
CHORUS ONE:
5 *
Poor old Kuzyk down the road
6m 4 1
The heartache, hail, and hoppers brought him down
* 2 5
He gave it up and went to town
* * *
… And Emmet Pierce, the other day
6m 4 1
Took a heart attack and died at forty-two
* 2 5 * 1 * 6m *
You could see it coming on, ’cause he worked as hard as you
CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO
NOTES:
— Instrumental break after first chorus
— Ending for last chorus: 2m-57-1 or 1-4-57-1
THE FIELD BEHIND THE PLOW PAGE TWO
1 * 5 4 1
In an hour, maybe more, you’ll be wet clear through
2m * 4 5
The air is cooler now, pull your hat brim further down
1 * 5 4 1
And watch the field behind the plow turn to straight dark rows
2m 57 1 *
Put a-nother season’s promise in the ground
CHORUS TWO:
5 *
And if the harvest’s any good
6m 4 1
The money might just cover all the loans
* 2 5
You’ve mortgaged all you own
* * *
… Buy the kids a winter coat
6m 4 1
Take the wife back east for Christmas if you can
* 2 5 * 1 * 6m *
All summer she hangs on, when you’re so tied to the land
1 * 5 4 1
For the good times come and go, but at least there’s rain
2m * 4 5
So this won’t be barren ground, when Sep-tember rolls a-round
1 * 5 4 1
And watch the field behind the plow, turn to straight dark rows
2m 57 1 *
Put a-nother season’s promise in the ground
ENDING: NO CHORUS, REPEAT LAST VERSE
SYMBOLS:
— Asterisk (*) = new measure, play same chord
— Period (.) = 1/8 note rest at start of a measure
— Underline(_) = sustain note into next measure
CHORDS (Number System):
— Example: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
— Key of C: C D E F G A B
— Detailed description: /pub/guitar/other_stuff/numbering_system.txt
— Submitted by: Barrie McCombs ([email protected])
