The Field Behind the Plow     4/4     Stan Rogers
1981, on: Northwest Passage                     Submitted by Ken Lee
Standard Tuning/ Travis Picking                 kandvlee@shaw.ca
Intro: One Verse Instrumental

          / G                /               / D   -    C    / G
Watch the / field behind the / plow, turn to / straight dark / rows,
         / Am              /                   / C                  /             / D
Feel the / trickle in your / clothes, blow the / dustcake from your / nose.
         / G                /              / D  -  C    / G
Hear the / tractor's steady / roar, oh you / can't stop / now,
          / Am              / D7              / G  - C / G /
There's a / quarter section / more or less to / go.    /   / and

   / G                /                 / D - C     / G
It / figures that the / rain keeps it's / own sweet / time,
        / Am                /                / C                  / D
You can / watch it come for / miles, but you / guess you've got a / while.
            / G              /             / D   -  C / G
So ease the / throttle out a / hair, every / rod's  a / gain,
        / Am         / D7            /  G - C / G
There's / victory in / every quarter / mile.  /

Chorus One:

         / D              /
Poor old / Kuzyk down the / road,
    / Em                   / C                   / G
The / heartache, hail, and / hoppers brought him / down.
           / G  -   A       / D     / /
He gave it / up and went to / town, / / and
      / D                 /       /
Emmet / Pierce, the other / day,  /
       / Em               / C               / G
Took a / heart attack and / died at forty - / two.
          / G             / D             /                   / G    / / / /
You could / see it coming / on, 'cause he / worked as hard as / you. / / / /

      / G           /                 / D - C     / G
In an / hour, maybe / more, you'll be / wet clear / through,
    / Am            /                / C                / D
The / air is cooler / now, pull your / hat brim further / down, and
          / G                /              / D   -    C    / G
Watch the / field behind the / plow turn to / straight dark / rows.
        / Am              / D7             / G  - C / G
Put a - / nother season's / promise in the / ground /

Break:

           / D             /
And if the / harvest's any / good,
    / Em               / C             / G
The / money just might / cover all the / loans.
       / G                 /       / A    -    D             / C                    / D
You've / mortgaged all you / own,  / - buy the kids a winter / coat.
         / Em                 / C                / G
Take the / wife back east for / Christmas if you / can.
    / G                / D               /                / G     / / / /
All / summer she hangs / on, when you're / so tied to the / land. / / / /

        / G                   /            / D  -  C       / G
For the / good times come and / go, but at / least there's / rain.
        / Am              /                    / C               / D
So this / won't be barren / ground, when Sep - / tember rolls a- / round,
             / G                /               / D   -    C    / G
So watch the / field behind the / plow, turn to / straight dark / rows.
        / Am              / D7             / G  -  C / G
Put a - / nother season's / promise in the / ground. /
          / G                /               / D   -    C    / G
Watch the / field behind the / plow, turn to / straight dark / rows.
        / Am              / D7             / G   -  C / G
Put a - / nother season's / promise in the / ground.  /

Repeat last two limes Instrumental
/ G - C / G