SHENANDOAH

Time signature:  4/4
​
Tempo: Moderate to slow,
             with feeling.
Traditional
​(Early 19th century)
        UNDER CONSTRUCTION: 
​   Everything needs to be checked.
​There are many different versions and arrangements of lyrics, and some (mostly minor) differences in melodies, among the youTube videos on this page.  The accordion notation below accompanies one version, of many.  Such variations are expected for folk songs that have been around for centuries.
​
Accordion Notation
Beats per bar = 4
Beat symbol  =  Dot ( . ) or equivalent
Either row (high) =  Buttons 5 to 10*
Inside row (low)  =  Buttons 2 to 6
Verses  1, 2, 3 and 4 

 .5   |   "6   "6    ;6     "7*    "7    "8*   |   "9*    .;8         "9 "10*  .;9*     "8     "9*  "8   |   "7   .;8 
 .2   |   "3   "3    ;3     "3*    "4    "4*   |   "5*    .;5         "6 "6*    .;5*     "5     "5*  "5   |   "4   .;5 
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I     long   to      hear  you,        A__ -  way,    you   roll-ing      riv - er
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I     love  your   daugh-ter,        A__ -  way,   you    roll-ing      riv - er
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I'm bound to     leave  you,      A__ -  way,    you   roll-ing      riv - er
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I     long   to       see    you,       A__ -  way,    you   roll-ing      riv - er  

 .8   |   "9*  "9*   ;9*   "7   "8    "7   |   "7*   .;6         .7*  |   .;7    "7*     "7     "9*  |  .:8    "6     "7*   |   .;7     "6      .7*  |  .:6
 .5   |   "5*  "5*   ;5*   "4   "5    "4   |   "3*   .;3         .3*  |   .;4    "3*     "4     "5*  |  .:5    "3     "3*   |   .;4     "3      .3*  |  .:3
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I   long  to     hear  you,      A__ - way,  I'm  bound   a - way,  cross  the     wide  Mis - sou -  ri__.
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I  love your  daugh-ter       A__ - way,  I'm  bound   a - way,  cross  the     wide  Mis - sou -  ri__.
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I'm bound to leave  you,    A__ - way,  I'm  bound   a - way,  cross  the     wide  Mis - sou -  ri__.
Oh,  Shen-an-doah,  I  long  to     see  you,        A__ - way,  I'm  bound   a - way,  cross  the     wide  Mis - sou -  ri__.
Embedded youTube VIDEOS
Total 25 videos, various keys:  C=5   C,D=4   D=7   Eb=2   Eb,E=1   E2   F=1   G=1   Ab=1    A=1

Some of these performances (complex orchestral and choral arrangements) may be challenging, even painful, for button-accordion playing, and are included for those who enjoy such challenges.
​
Key:   C

Tempo:  ~75 bpm
​
Singer:  Liam Clancy

​Posted by:  Gloria McQuillan
Key:   C  from time 0 to 2:23
​          D from 2:24 to End

Group:  The Irish Tenors

​Posted by:  beechclub
Key:   C

Tempo: ~80 bpm

Singer:  Jo Stafford

​Posted by:  vonArth
Key:   C

Singer:  Bruce Springsteen

Posted by:  Bruce Springsteen

​Performed at the Seeger Sessions

Singing begins at time 1:10

A very different rhythm compared to most of the other performances.
​​
Key:   C  

​Tempo:  ~70 bpm

Group:  The Kingston Trio

Posted by:  Compvid101

Video cuts out suddenly just before End.
​
Key:   C

Artist:   Kent Courtney

​Posted by:  CraigShipp.com
Key:   C  from time 0 to 2:23
          D  from 2:24 to End

​Tempo:  ~65 bpm

​Singer:  John McDermott

Posted by:  LadyGreyCarolyn
Key:   C   from time 0 to 2:05
          D   from time 2:06 to End

Group:   Celtic Woman
Singer:   Megan Ruby Walsh

Posted by:  Celtic Woman Official
Key:   C  from time 0 to 2:03
          D  from 2:04 to End

​Tempo:  ~70 bpm

Singer:  Tom Roush

​Posted by:  Tom Roush

From album "My Grandfather's Clock"
Key:  D    (for singing part)

​Tempo:  ~90 bpm

Singer:  Bryn Terfel

Posted by:  bbassillio
Key:   D

Tempo:  ~80 bpm

Singer:  Sophie Macrae

​Posted by:  Sophie Macrae
Key:   D

​Tempo:  ~85 bpm

Group:  The Brothers Fours
​
Posted by:  robbinhood11
Key:  D

​Tempo:  ~70 bpm

Singer:  Arlo Guthrie

Posted by:  Spadecaller

From album "Son of the Wind"
Key:  D

​Tempo:  ~90 bpm

Singer:  Randy Granger
​
​Posted by:  Randy Granger

​From the album/CD Cloudwalker.
Key:  D

Pianist:  Jen Hancock?

Posted by:  JenHancockMusic 

​Instrumental, arranged by Jay Althouse
Key:   D

Singer:   Aaron Bigelelsen
Pianist:  Alla Kuznetsov

​Posted by:  Eastman Community
​                   Music School
Key:   Eb

Singer:  Hayley Westenra

Posted by:  MediaPage

​Music begins at time 0:50
Key:   Eb  from  time  0 to 1:43
          E   from 1:44 to End

Singer:  Glen Campbell

​Posted by:  raieldhotmail
Key:   Eb

​Tempo:  ~75 bpm

Singer:  Sissel Kyrkjebo

​Posted by:  sisselfan

​(Sissel is from Norway)
Key:   E 

​Tempo:  ~75 bpm

Singer:  Harry Belafonte
​
Posted by:  Romi M. Panlilio
Key:   E 

​Tempo:  ~80 bpm

Group:  Choir of New Colllege Oxford

​Posted by: CHOR GESANG -
​                  Das Musikmagazin
Key:   F

​Tempo:  ~70 bpm

Singer:  Harve Presnell
​​
Posted by:  ami yarimi

A portion around the middle of the song is different in words and music from that given above.
Key:  G

Group:  Gimnazija Kranj Symphony
             Orchestra and Girls Choir

Posted by:  zevnikov

(from Slovenia)

Singing begins at time 0:29
Key:   Ab

Singer:  Tennessee Ernie Ford

​Posted by:  TEFSHOW
Key:   A

​Tempo:  ~60 bpm

Singer:  Suzy Bogguss

Posted by:  nashvillehigh

Singing begins at time 0:45
Lyrics, Background Information & Links
LYRICS       for one version of many.
Verse 1




Verse 2



Verse 3



​
Verse 4


​
Oh, Shenandoah, I long to hear you, 
Away, you rolling river
Oh, Shenandoah, I long to hear you
Away, I'm bound away, cross the wide Missouri.

Oh, Shenandoah, I love your daughter, 
Away, you rolling river
Oh, Shenandoah, I love your daughter
Away, I'm bound away, cross the wide Missouri.

Oh, Shenandoah, I'm bound to leave you, 
Away, you rolling river
Oh, Shenandoah, I'm bound to leave you
Away, I'm bound away, cross the wide Missouri.

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.
​
Background info and link:
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According toTom Brokaw:  (Shenandoah) "... was a song that was developed by the boatmen on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and it's the tale of a man who pines for the daughter of Shenandoah, who was a famous Iowa chief..."

Some versions confuse the father and daughter, seeming to refer to them both as Shenandoah.

Some sources attribute the song to the French-Canadian voyageurs who, in their great canoes, were probably the first "Europeans" to explore the great Missouri and Mississippi rivers.

​One version goes by the name "Across the wide Missouri."

Also, there are some versions that are about the Shenandoah River and Valley in Virginia and West Virginia.

By the late 1800's it was also being sung, with modified lyrics, as a sea shanty.

And ... some (perhaps most) versions contain a confused mixture of one or more of the above sources.  However, the confusion is offset by the beauty of the melody, and the various fantastic orchestral and choral arrangements built around it.
​
Click HERE for additional info about this song (wikipedia).