Oh Shenandoah

"Oh Shenandoah" (also called simply "Shenandoah", or "Across the Wide Missouri") is a traditional American folk song of uncertain origin, dating at least to the early 19th century. The song is number 324 in the Roud Folk Song Index, but is not listed amongst the Child Ballads.

Contents

Lyrics

The lyrics may tell the story of a roving trader in love with the daughter of an Indian chief; in this interpretation, the rover tells the chief of his intent to take the girl with him far to the west, across the Missouri River. Other interpretations tell of a pioneer's nostalgia for the Shenandoah River Valley in Virginia, or of a Confederate soldier in the American Civil War, dreaming of his country home in Virginia. The provenance of the song is unclear.

The song is also associated with escaped slaves. They were said to sing the song in gratitude because the river allowed their scent to be lost.

The Shenandoah area made many parts like wheels and seats for wagons going west. These parts were assembled in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and settlers set out in Conestoga wagons down the Ohio River, on the Mississippi and west up the Missouri River. Lyrics were undoubtedly added by rivermen, settlers, and the millions who went west.

Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away you rolling river.
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away, I'm bound away,
'cross the wide Missouri.
Oh Shenandoah,
I love your daughter,
Away, you rolling river.
For her I'd cross,
Your roaming waters,
Away, I'm bound away,
'Cross the wide Missouri.
'Tis seven years,
since last I've seen you,
And hear your rolling river.
'Tis seven years,
since last I've seen you,
Away, we're bound away,
Across the wide Missouri.
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
And hear your rolling river.
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away, we're bound away,
Across the wide Missouri.

The lyrics as given in Sea Songs and Shanties, collected by W.B. Whall, Master Mariner (1910) is as follows:

Miss-ou-ri, she's a mighty riv-er.
A - way you rolling riv-er.
The red-skins' camp, lies on its bor-ders.
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.
The white man loved the Indian maiden,
A - way you rolling riv-er.
With notions his canoe was laden. (note: Notions = nick-nacks)
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.
"O, Shenandoah, I love your daughter,
A - way you rolling riv-er.
I'll take her 'cross yon rolling water."
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.
The chief disdained the trader's dollars:
A - way you rolling riv-er.
"My daughter never you shall follow."
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.
At last there came a Yankee skipper.
A - way you rolling riv-er.
He winked his eye, and he tipped his flipper.
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.
He sold the chief that fire-water,
A - way you rolling riv-er.
And 'cross the river he stole his daughter.
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.
"O, Shenandoah, I long to hear you,
A - way you rolling riv-er.
Across that wide and rolling river."
Ah-ha, I'm bound a-way, 'Cross the wide, Miss-ou-ri.

History

Shenandoah was first printed as part of William L. Alden's article "Sailor Songs", in the July 1882 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine.[1][2]

The song had become popular as a sea chanty with sailors by the 1880s.[3]

A Mr. J.E. Laidlaw of San Francisco reported hearing a version sung by a black Barbadian sailor aboard the Glasgow ship Harland in 1894, which went:

Oh, Shenandoah! I hear you calling!
Away, you rolling river!
Yes, far away I hear you calling,
Ha, Ha! I'm bound away across the wide Missouri.
My girl, she's gone far from the river,
Away, you rolling river!
An' I ain't goin' to see her never.
Ha, Ha! I'm bound away, " &c.[4]

Alfred Mason Williams' 1895 Studies in Folk-song and Popular Poetry called it a "good specimen of a bowline chant".[5] In his 1931 book on sea and river chanteys entitled Capstan Bars, David Bone wrote that "Oh Shenandoah" originated as a river chanty or shanty and then became popular with sea-going crews in the early 19th century.[6]

The U.S. congressman for Missouri Ike Skelton noted in 2005 that local artist George Caleb Bingham immortalized the jolly flatboatmen who plied the Missouri River in the early 19th century; these same flatboatmen were known for their chanties, including the lovely "Oh Shenandoah". This boatmen's song found its way down the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to the American clipper ships, and thus around the world.

Set in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, Washington & Lee University chorus singers and bands play this song in homage to their alma mater. The University names the "Washington and Lee Swing" as their fight song, but the student body, who lived in the Blue Ridge for at least four years, considers this one of their most nostalgic songs.

The Virginia Military Institute Regimental Band and Glee Club frequently perform this song, as it is widely considered that school's theme song. In this interpretation, Shenandoah refers to the home of the Virginia Military Institute and expresses the longing that a cadet experiences once he is reminded of the valley's beauty by his travels across the 'wide Missouri'.

Sea Songs and Shanties, Collected by W.B. Whall, Master Mariner (First edition in Nov 1910), states that the song probably originated from American or Canadian "voyageurs", who were great singers. Thomas Moore drew inspiration from them in his Canadian Boat Song. The author further goes on and states that he heard it sung over fifty years prior to publishing the book, which place its origin at least a fair bit earlier than 1860. Besides sung at sea, this song figured in old public school collections. (info taken from page one in the sixth edition of the book)

Because the melody spans a modest range, it is ideally suited to instruments that have a limited pitch range, such as the Native American flute.[7]

Interim state song of Virginia

For a time in early 2006, it appeared that "Shenandoah" would become the "interim state song" for Virginia. While the authorizing legislation passed the Senate of Virginia, the measure died in committee on the Virginia House of Delegates side.[8] It was a problematic choice because the song never specifically mentions Virginia and, in many versions of the song, the name "Shenandoah" refers to an Indian chief, not the Shenandoah Valley or Shenandoah River. However, an early rendition of the song, as related in 1931 by David Bone in Capstan Bars, includes verses that appear to allude to the Shenandoah River, which is partly in Virginia:

Oh, Shenandoah's my native valley.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah is my native valley.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!
Oh, Shenandoah, it's far I wander.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah, it's far I wander.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!
Oh, Shenandoah has rushing waters.
Aa-way, you rolling river!
Shenandoah has rushing waters.
Ah-way, we're bound to go, 'cross th' wide Missouri!

It is possible that, as the song's popularity spread, flatboatmen of the Missouri might have evolved different lyrics than the bargemen of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal along the Potomac or sailors of the American clipper fleet out of New Orleans.

Recordings

References

  1. ^ "Sailor Songs", Harper's New Monthly Magazine 65 (286): p. 283, July 1882 
  2. ^ "About "Shenandoah"". Song of America Project. Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/creativity/hampson/about_shenandoah.html. Retrieved 2010-03-06. 
  3. ^ . London: The Times. September 12, 1930. p. 8. 
  4. ^ The Times, Friday, Sep 12, 1930; pg. 8; Issue 45616; col B: Quoted in a letter to the editor written by A.A. Brookington of Liverpool. Brookington added his informant Laidlaw had later heard it sung "almost word for word as the sailor of Harland sang it" in 1926 at Monterey Presidio by a captain of the 9th U.S. Cavalry, and that this regiment, though officered by whites, was made up largely of black troopers. The letter-writer therefore speculated the song was originally a negro spiritual.
  5. ^ Alfred Mason Williams (1895). Studies in Folk-song and Popular Poetry. London: Elliot Stock. pp. 5–7. , as reprinted in Alfred Mason Williams (2005). Studies in Folk-song and Popular Poetry. BiblioBazaar. ISBN 9780559787287. http://books.google.ca/books?id=8MM7TsaLwhMC. 
  6. ^ David W. Bone (1931). Capstan Bars. Edinburgh: The Porpoise Press. OCLC 896299. 
  7. ^ Clint Goss (2011). "Shenandoah - Sheet music for the Native American Flute". http://Flutopedia.com/song_Shenandoah.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-27. 
  8. ^ Sluss, Michael (March 2, 2006). "Proposed state song doesn't bring down the House". The Roanoke Times. http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/wb/xp-54991. Retrieved October 14, 2008. 
  9. ^ http://www.gemm.com Sergio Franchi

External links