"Oh Shenandoah": beautiful melody; key folk song of early America

#earlyamericanfolksong #shenandoah #folksong #singingboatmen #ohshenandoah #shanti #sailorssong
There are two possible misconceptions that must be cleared up when speaking about the song "Shenandoah": First, the name Shenandoah does not refer to a women or a place but to a particular man, the famous Oneida Indian Chief by that name. Second, the river of the song is not the Shenandoah river in Appalachia but rather the Missouri River. In fact, President George Washington named the Shenandoah Valley and its river in honor of the great Chief who showed his valor and patriotism—and that of his men—in the American Revolution. W.B. Whally, in his book "Ships, Sea Songs, and Shanties," states that the song "probably came from the American or Canadian voyageurs who were great singers… In the early days of America, rivers and canals were the chief trade and passenger routes, and boatmen were an important class... Besides being sung at sea, this song figured in old public school collections." A shanty was, for all intents and purposes, a song sung by working men as they labored. Whall's book (third ed. 1913) can be consulted by internet at: Archive.org. The Illustrations in his book were drawn by his granddaughter Veronica Whall.
The voice in the song is purported to be that of a white man who stole Shenandoah's daughter and then married her. He is now looking back wistfully and is talking to his father in law. I hope you enjoy the performance and presentation.