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Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers
Northwest Passage
D A G Bm
Ah for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
G D Em G
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
D A G Bm
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
G D A D
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea
Westward from the Davis Strait, 'tis there was said to lie
The sea route to the orient for which so many died
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered broken bones
And a long forgotten lonely cairn of stones
Three centuries thereafter I take passage over land
In the footsteps of brave Kelso where his "sea of flowers" began
Watching cities rise before me then behind me sink again
This tardiest explorer driving hard across the plains
And through the night behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west
I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson, and the rest
Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me
To race the roaring Fraser to the sea
How then am I so different from the first men through this way
Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away
To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men
To find there but the road back home again
----------------
version 2
2/4
Standard Tuning Two Strums per chord
Chorus:
/ D / A
Ah, for / just one / time,
/ G / Bm
I would / take the Northwest / Passage
/ G / D
To / find the hand of / Franklin,
/ Em / G
Reaching / for the Beaufort / Sea.
/ D / A
Tracing / one warm / line,
/ G / Bm
Through a / land so wide and / savage, and
G / D - A / D / /
Make a Northwest / Passage, to the / sea. / /
D / A
Westward from the / Davis Strait,
/ G / Bm
'Tis / there was said to / lie,
/ G / D
The / sea route to the / Orient,
/ G / Em
For / which so many / died,
D / A
Seeking gold and / glory,
/ G / Bm
Leaving / weathered broken / bones, and
/ G / D - A / D / /
A / long forgotten / lonely cairn of / stones. / /
Chorus:
/ D / A
Three / centuries there - / after,
/ G / Bm
I take / passage over / land,
/ G / D
In the / footsteps of brave / Kelso,
/ Em / G
Where his / "sea of flowers" be - / gan.
/ D / A
Watching / cities rise be - / fore me,
/ G / Bm
Then be - / hind me sink a - / gain,
/ G / D
This / tardiest ex - / plorer,
/ D - A / D
Driving / hard, a - cross the / plains. / /
Chorus:
/ D / A
And / through the night be - / hind the wheel,
/ G / Bm
The / mileage clicking / west,
/ G / D
I / think upon Mac - / kenzie,
/ Em / G
David / Thompson, and the / rest,
/ D / A
Who / cracked the mountain / ramparts, and
/ G / Bm
Did / show a path for / me,
/ G / D - A / D / /
To / race the roaring / Fraser, to the / sea. / /
Chorus:
/ D / A
How / then am I so / different,
/ G / Bm
From the / first men through this / way,
/ G / D
Like / them, I left a / settled life,
/ Em / G
I / threw it all a - / way,
/ D / A
To / seek a Northwest / Passage,
/ G / Bm
At the / call of many / men,
/ G / D - A / D / /
To / find there, but the / road back home a - / gain. / /
Chorus:
----------------
version 3
2/4
Standard Tuning Two Strums per chord
Chorus:
/ D / A
Ah, for / just one / time,
/ G / Bm
I would / take the Northwest / Passage
/ G / D
To / find the hand of / Franklin,
/ Em / G
Reaching / for the Beaufort / Sea.
/ D / A
Tracing / one warm / line,
/ G / Bm
Through a / land so wide and / savage, and
G / D - A / D
Make a Northwest / Passage, to the / sea
D / A
Westward from the / Davis Strait,
/ G / Bm
'Tis / there was / said to / lie,
/ G / D
The / sea route to the / Orient,
/ G / Em
For / which so many / died,
D / A
Seeking gold and / glory,
/ G / Bm
Leaving / weathered broken / bones, and
/ G / D - A / D
A / long forgotten / lonely cairn of / stones
Chorus:
/ D / A
Three / centuries there - / after,
/ G / Bm
I take / passage over / land,
/ G / D
In the / footsteps of brave / Kelso,
/ Em / G
Here his / "sea of flowers" be - / gan.
/ D / A
Watching / cities rise be - / fore me,
/ G / Bm
Then be - / hind me sink a - / gain,
/ G / D
This / tardiest ex - / plorer driving / hard,
A / D
A - cross the / plains
Chorus:
/ D / A
And / through the night be - / hind the wheel,
/ G / Bm
The / mileage clicking / west,
/ G / D
I / think upon Mac - / kenzie,
/ Em / G
David / Thompson, and the / rest,
/ D / A
Who / cracked the mountain / ramparts, and
/ G / Bm
Did / show a path for / me,
/ G / D - A / D
To / race the roaring / Fraser, to the / sea..
Chorus:
/ D / A
How / then am I so / different,
/ G / Bm
From the / first men through this / way,
/ G / D
Like / them, I left a / settled life,
/ Em / G
I / threw it all a - / way,
/ D / A
To / seek a Northwest / Passage,
/ G / Bm
At the / call of many / men,
/ G / D - A /
To / find there, but the / road back home a - /
D
gain.
Chorus:
----------------
version 4
The verses are sung acapella (without playing)
C G F Am
Ah for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
F C Dm F
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
C G F Am
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
F C G C
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea
Westward from the Davis Strait, 'tis there was said to lie
The sea route to the orient for which so many died
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered broken bones
And a long forgotten lonely cairn of stones
C G F Am
Ah for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
F C Dm F
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
C G F Am
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
F C G C
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea
Three centuries thereafter I take passage over land
In the footsteps of brave Kelso where his "Sea of Flowers" began
Watching cities rise before me then behind me sink again
This tardiest explorer driving hard across the plains
C G F Am
Ah for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
F C Dm F
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
C G F Am
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
F C G C
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea
And through the night behind the wheel, the mileage clicking west
I think upon Mackenzie, David Thompson, and the rest
Who cracked the mountain ramparts and did show a path for me
To race the roaring Fraser to the sea
C G F Am
Ah for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
F C Dm F
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
C G F Am
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
F C G C
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea
How then am I so different from the first men through this way
Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away
To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men
To find there but the road back home again
C G F Am
Ah for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
F C Dm F
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea
C G F Am
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
F C G C
And make a Northwest Passage to the sea
--------------