"Oh Shenandoah" (also called "Shenandoah", "Across the Wide Missouri", "Rolling River", "Oh, My Rolling River", "World of Misery''") is a traditional folk song, sung in the Americas, of uncertain origin, dating to the early 19th century. The song "Shenandoah" appears to have originated with American and Canadian

voyageurs The voyageurs (; ) were 18th and 19th century French Canadians who engaged in the transporting of furs via canoe during the peak of the North American fur trade. The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places (New France, including th ...

or fur traders traveling down the Missouri River in canoes and has developed several different sets of lyrics. Some lyrics refer to the Oneida chief Shenandoah and a canoe-going trader who wants to marry his daughter. By the mid 1800s versions of the song had become a sea shanty heard or sung by sailors in various parts of the world. The song is number 324 in the Roud Folk Song Index. Other variations (due to the influence of its oral dispersion among different regions) include the Caribbean (St. Vincent) version, "World of Misery", referring not to an "Indian princess" but to "the white mullata".

History

Until the 19th century only adventurers who sought their fortunes as trappers and traders of beaver fur ventured as far west as the Missouri River. Most of these Canadian and US "

" in the fur trade era were loners who became friendly with, and sometimes married, Native Americans. Some lyrics of this song heard by and before 1860 tell the story of a trader who fell in love with the daughter of the Oneida

Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...

chief Shenandoah (1710–1816) who lived in the central New York state town of Oneida Castle. He was a co-founder of the Oneida Academy which became

Hamilton College Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, Oneida County, New York. It was founded as Hamilton-Oneida Academy in 1793 and was chartered as Hamilton College in 1812 in honor of inaugural trustee Alexander Hamilton, following ...

in Clinton, New York, and is buried on the campus grounds. The

canoe A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle. In British English, the ter ...

-going fur-trading ''voyageurs'' were great singers and songs were an important part of their culture. In the early 19th century

flatboat A flatboat (or broadhorn) was a rectangular flat-bottomed boat with square ends used to transport freight and passengers on inland waterways in the United States. The flatboat could be any size, but essentially it was a large, sturdy tub with a ...

men who plied the Missouri River were known for their shanties, including "Oh Shenandoah". Sailors heading down the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

picked up the song and made it a capstan shanty that they sang while hauling in the anchor. This boatmen's song found its way down the Mississippi River to American

clipper ship A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "Cl ...

s—and thus around the world. The song had become popular as a sea shanty with seafaring sailors by the mid 1800s. A version of the song called "Shanadore" was printed in Capt. Robert Chamblet Adams' article "Sailors' Songs" in the April 1876 issue of ''The New Dominion Monthly''. He also included it in his 1879 book ''On Board the "Rocket"''. "Shanadore" was later printed as part of

William L. Alden William Livingston Alden (1837–1908) was a prominent American journalist, fiction writer, humorist and canoe enthusiast. He was a US diplomat in Rome from 1885 to 1890 and thereafter lived in Europe until shortly before his death. Biography W ...

's article "Sailor Songs" in the July 1882 issue of ''

Harper's New Monthly Magazine ''Harper's Magazine'' is a monthly magazine of literature, politics, culture, finance, and the arts. Launched in New York City in June 1850, it is the oldest continuously published monthly magazine in the U.S. (''Scientific American'' is older, b ...

'', and in the 1892 book ''Songs that Never Die''. Alfred Mason Williams' 1895 ''Studies in Folk-song and Popular Poetry'' called it a "good specimen of a

bowline The bowline ( or ) is an ancient and simple knot used to form a fixed loop at the end of a rope. It has the virtues of being both easy to tie and untie; most notably, it is easy to untie after being subjected to a load. The bowline is sometimes ...

chant".

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who lived in the United States from 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long an ...

recorded Charles Rosher of London England singing ''Shenandoah'' in 1906 and the recording is available online via the

British Library Sound Archive The British Library Sound Archive, formerly the British Institute of Recorded Sound; also known as the National Sound Archive (NSA), in London, England is among the largest collections of recorded sound in the world, including music, spoken word a ...

. A recording sung by former shantyman Stanely Slade of Bristol, England, in 1943 is also publicly available. In a 1930 letter to the UK newspaper ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'' a former sailor who had worked aboard clipper ships that carried wool between Australia and Great Britain in the 1880s said that he believed the song had originated as an African American spiritual which developed into a work song.

Lyrics

Since "Shenandoah" was a riverman's and then sailor's song and went through numerous changes and versions over the years and centuries, there are no set lyrics. Modern variations may include lyrics such as the following: :Oh Shenandoah, :I long to see you, :Away, you rolling river. :Oh Shenandoah, :I long to see you, :Way, we're bound away :Across the wide Missouri. :Oh Shenandoah, :I love your daughter, :Away, you rolling river. :For her I'd cross :Your roaming waters, :Way, we're bound away :Across the wide Missouri. :'Tis seven years :since last I've seen you, :Away, you rolling river. :'Tis seven years :since last I've seen you, :Way, we're bound away :Across the wide Missouri. :Oh Shenandoah, :I long to hear you, :And hear your rolling river. :Oh Shenandoah, :I long to hear you, :Way, we're bound away :Across the wide Missouri. :Oh Shenandoah, :I long to hear you, :Far away, you rolling river. :Oh Shenandoah, :Just to be near you, :Far away, far away. :Across the wide Missouri.

Earlier versions

Lyrics from prior to 1860, given by Whall (1910) were reported as follows: :Missouri, she's a mighty river. :Away you rolling river. :The redskins' camp, lies on its borders. :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. :The white man loved the Indian maiden, :Away you rolling river :With notions his canoe was laden. :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. :"O, Shenandoah, I love your daughter, :Away you rolling river. :I'll take her 'cross yon rolling water." :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. :The chief disdained the trader's dollars: :Away you rolling river. :"My daughter never you shall follow." :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. :At last there came a Yankee skipper. :Away you rolling river. :He winked his eye, and he tipped his flipper. :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. :He sold the chief that fire-water, :Away you rolling river. :And 'cross the river he stole his daughter. :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. :"O, Shenandoah, I long to hear you, :Away you rolling river. :Across that wide and rolling river." :Ah-ha, I'm bound away, 'Cross the wide Missouri. J.E. Laidlaw of San Francisco reported hearing a version sung by a black Barbadian sailor aboard the Glasgow ship ''Harland'' in 1894: :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.) Lyrics to "Oh Shenandoah" as sung by

Tennessee Ernie Ford Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for h ...

(1959): :Oh Shenandoah, I hear you calling, :Hi-o, you rolling river. :Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you, :Hi-o, I'm bound away. :'Cross the wide, Mis-sou-ri. :Mis-sou-ri, She's a mighty river, :Hi-o, you rolling river. :When she rolls down, her topsails shiver, :Hi-o, I'm bound away, :'Cross the wide, Mis-sou-ri. :Farewell my dearest, I'm bound to leave you, :Hi-o, you rolling river. :Oh Shenandoah, I'll not deceive you, :Hi-o, I'm bound away. :'Cross the wide Mis-sou-ri.

Modern usage

The song is popular in local organizations such as:

Shenandoah University Shenandoah University is a private university in Winchester, Virginia. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,000 students across more than 200 areas of study in six schools: College of Arts & Sciences (including the Division of Education and Le ...

, Southern Virginia University,

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexington ...

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

and the

Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...

. "Shenandoah" was proposed as the "interim state song" for

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in 2006 with updated lyrics. The proposal was contentious because the standard folksong refers to the Missouri River and in most versions of the song the name "Shenandoah" refers to an Indian chief, not the Shenandoah Valley or Shenandoah River, both of which lie almost entirely in Virginia. "

Our Great Virginia "Our Great Virginia" is the regional anthem of the U.S. state of Virginia. History It was adopted unanimously by the Virginia Senate as the official List of U.S. state songs, state song of Virginia in early July 2015. Sung to the traditional tune ...

" which uses the melody of "Shenandoah" was designated by the Virginia Legislature as the official traditional state song of Virginia in 2015. In the movies it is featured in the soundtrack of the 1965 movie '' Shenandoah,'' starring Jimmy Stewart. It is also heard repeatedly in 1947's ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

'', and as part of a medley in the 1962 film '' How the West Was Won''. The choir arrangement of the song has also been used in the films ''The Good Shepard'' and ''Nixon''. Members of the

Western Writers of America Western Writers of America (WWA), founded 1953, promotes literature, both fictional and nonfictional, pertaining to the American West. Although its founders wrote traditional Western fiction, the more than 600 current members also include histori ...

chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time. Various arrangements by

have been recorded by

John Shirley-Quirk John Stanton Shirley-Quirk CBE (28 August 19317 April 2014) was an English bass-baritone. A member of the English Opera Group during 1964–76, he gave premiere performances of several operatic and vocal works by Benjamin Britten, recording thes ...

and other classically trained singers. "A song of the waters: variations on the folksong Shenandoah" is a classical composition by James Cohn. At least one version was arranged by

Leslie Woodgate Hubert Leslie Woodgate (15 April 190018 May 1961) was an English choral conductor, composer, and writer of books on choral music. He was born in London, and educated at Westminster School and the Royal College of Music. During the 1920s, he was ...

. A version of the song was used as the theme for the TV Western series ''

A Man Called Shenandoah ''A Man Called Shenandoah'' is an American western series that aired Monday evenings on ABC-TV from September 13, 1965 to May 16, 1966. It was produced by MGM Television. Some of the location work for the 34 half-hour black and white episodes we ...

'' that aired from 1965 to 1966. This particular version was performed by Robert Horton, the star of the series, who also wrote the adapted lyrics that were used. The song was used in the HBO television series '' The Newsroom'', season 3, episode 5, "Oh Shenandoah". This song was also performed by the main character and his friends in the Netflix TV series ''

House of Cards A house of cards (also known as a card tower or card castle) is a structure created by stacking playing cards on top of each other, often in the shape of a pyramid. "House of cards" is also an expression that dates back to 1645 meaning a structu ...

'',

season 1 Season One may refer to: Albums * ''Season One'' (Suburban Legends album), 2004 * ''Season One'' (All Sons & Daughters album), 2012 * ''Season One'' (Saukrates album), 2012 See also * * * Season 2 (disambiguation) * Season 4 (disambiguati ...

, chapter 8.

Selected notable recordings

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classi ...

on '' American Folk Songs'' (Corinthian, 1950) * Paul Clayton on ''Whaling and Sailing Songs from the Days of Moby Dick'' (Allmusic, 1956) *

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

on ''American Favorite Ballads, Volume 1'' (

Smithsonian Folkways Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C. The label was fo ...

, 1958) *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

on ''

Down in the Groove ''Down in the Groove'' is the 25th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on May 30, 1988 by Columbia Records. A highly collaborative effort, it was Dylan's second consecutive album to receive almost unanimously negative r ...

'' (1988) * Jerry Garcia and David Grisman on '' Not For Kids Only'' (1993) * Bruce Springsteen and the Seeger Sessions Band on '' We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions'' (Columbia, 2006) *

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

with

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

on '' Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys'' (Anti-, 2013). * Tony Rice Unit on ''Unit Of Measure'' (Rounder, 2000)

Footnotes

References

External links

1921 version, from ''The Shanty Book''

{{Authority control 19th-century songs American folk songs American frontier Bob Dylan songs Fur trade Glen Campbell songs Jo Stafford songs Judy Garland songs Missouri River Sea shanties Shenandoah River Sissel Kyrkjebø songs Songs of the American Civil War Songwriter unknown The Statler Brothers songs Van Morrison songs Virginia culture Year of song unknown Shenandoah Valley