THE HISTORY OF THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY is of course, tied to rivers. Not just the Ohio, but a plethora of smaller rivers flow into it, bring with them the stories and songs of the regions the rivers meander through. The Ohio was the river that brought the songs to mass popularity.
Shenandoah’s lyrics come from fur trappers working the Missouri River, and often incorporate references to the Native American Chief of the same name. These fur trappers, as well as the flatboat pilots traveling down the Missouri brought the song to the Mississippi. It then made its way down that river to the ports on the Gulf of Mexico, and to the ocean going ships of the time. By the mid nineteenth century it was a sea shanty known throughout the world.
Fur trappers by necessity, had to get along with the Native American tribes, and it wasn’t unusual for them to marry from those same tribes. It’s often mistakenly thought that the river referred to is the Shenandoah River, but that lies mainly in Virginia, far away from the wide Missouri.
There is also more than a bit of the Negro spiritual in the melody, which is to be expected, as many slaves were forced to work the rivers, and used their songs as a form of shanty, to help keep the men working in unison.
We nicked the lyrics from Pete Seeger, who is known for another river altogether
Shenandoah
Traditional, United States, early nineteenth century
Oh Shenandoah, I long to hear you,
Look 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,
Look away you rolling river,
Oh Shenandoah I love your daughter,
Look away I’m bound away,
‘Cross the wide Missouri
Oh Shenandoah, I’m bound to leave you,
Look away you rolling river,
Oh Shenandoah, I’m bound to leave you,
Away I’m bound away, ‘Cross the wide Missouri
