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Shenandoah / Shenandoah Lullaby
Composer: Traditional

The Grateful Dead played a jam based on Shenandoah on June 20, 1992. Shenandoah Lullaby was performed by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman in the 1990's.

Thought to have been written in the early 1800's but the origins of the song are uncertain. Various theories suggest that the Shenandoah of the title was an Indian chief, the river in Virginia or Shenandoah, Iowa.

The song became a popular sea and river shanty in the mid nineteenth century. Early versions of the song had various titles including The Wide Missouri, Across The Wide Missouri, The Wild Mizzourye, The World Of Misery, Rolling River, and Oh Shenandoah.



Jerry Garcia recordings

As Shenandoah Lullaby
info Not For Kids Only, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman, 1993
info A Child's Celebration of Lullaby, Various Artists (Jerry Garcia and David Grisman), 1997
info Freedom: Songs From The Heart Of America, Various Artists, 2002
info Freedom: A History of Us, Various Artists, 2002
info Not for Kids Only: Deluxe Edition, Garcia/Grisman, 2020

Other recordings

There are many hundreds of recordings of Shenandoah. The following is a small selection only.

no info American Folk Songs, Jo Stafford, 1950
no info Follow the Sunset, Charity Bailey, 1953
no info An Evening With Belafonte, Harry Belafonte, 1957
no info Andrew Rowan Summers, Andrew Rowan Summers, 1957
no info Folk Songs, Terrea Lea and her Singing Guitar, 1957
no info Songs of the Sea: Sung by Alan Mills and the Four Shipmates, Alan Mills, 1957
info American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 2, Pete Seeger, 1958
info Belafonte At Carnegie Hall, Harry Belafonte, 1959
no info Twilight on the Trail, Jimmie Rodgers, 1959
no info Sea Shanties, John Goss, 195?
no info Sea Shanties: A Medley, The Georgian Singers, 195?
no info Folksongs, Brownie McNeil, 195?
no info Song Of American Sailormen, Morty Bauman, 195?
no info Belafonte At Carnegie Hall, Harry Belafonte, 1959
no info America's Best Loved Folk Songs, Milt Okun, 1961
no info The Best of Jimmie Rodgers Folk Songs, Jimmie Rodgers, 1961
no info Man with the Blue Guitar, Johnny Smith, 1962
info American Folk Ballads, Logan English, 1962
no info Jim and Art Sing and Play a Folk Song, Jim Helms and Art Podell, 1962
no info Pot Luck, Ramsey Lewis Trio, 1963
info The Goldebriars, The Goldebriars, 1964
info Let's Sing Out, Various Artists (Leon Bibb), 1964
info Just Plain Folk, Various Artists (Earl Wrightson), 1965
info When We're Together ... With The Folk Sound, Various Artists (Jimmy Dean), 1965
no info Johnny Smith, Johnny Smith, 1967
no info G.I.: American Army Songs, Oscar Barnd, 196?
no info Lets Dance Country, Tommy Jackson, 196?
no info America's Best Loved Folk Songs, Milt Okun, 196?
no info Rusty Tracks, Mickey Newbury, 1977
info Cowboy Classics, Grady Martin, 1977
no info Sea Chanties and Forecastle Songs at Mystic Seaport, Stuart M. Frank, Stuart Gillespie and Ellen Cohn, 1978
info Greatest Hits, Charlie McCoy, 1982
no info Folk Jazz USA, John Benson Brooks, 1983
no info Collection, Harry Belafonte, 1984
info Going Home, Daniel Kobialka, 1984
info Berkshire Mountains Bluegrass Festival, Various Artists (Charlie McCoy), 1985
no info Essential, Paul Robeson, 1987
no info All Time Greatest Hits Vol. 2, Harry Belafonte, 1988
info Down In The Groove, Bob Dylan, 1988
no info A Man And His Music, Harry Belafonte, 1989
no info God Bless America, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, 1992
no info Old Time Hammered Dulcimer Favorites, Mick Doherty, 1994
no info Son of the Wind, Arlo Guthrie, 1994
no info American Tranquility, Phil Coulter, 1994
info Vanguard Collector's Edition, Various Artists (Paul Robeson), 1997
info Heritage, Darol Anger/Various Artists, 1997
no info Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Been, Spider John Koerner, 19??
info Unit of Measure, Tony Rice Unit, 2000
info Greatest Hits, Harry Belafonte, 2000
info Live at the Freight, Marley's Ghost, 2001
info Public Domain: Songs from the Wild Land, Dave Alvin, 2002
info Island In The Sun, Harry Belafonte, 2002
info American Favorite Ballads, Vol. 1, Pete Seeger, 2002
no info 1000 Years of Popular Music, Richard Thompson, 2003
info Ain't No Grave: A Tribute To Traditional & Public Domain Songs, Various Artists (Last Train Home), 2003
no info Classic Maritime Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Various Artists (The X Seamen's Institute), 2004
info Western Jubilee: Songs and Stories of the American West, Various Artists (Don Edwards and Waddie Mitchell), 2004
info Windham Hill: America, Various Artists (Philip Aaberg), 2004
info The Essential, Harry Belafonte, 2005
info East/West, Bill Frisell, 2005
info Bruce Hornsby Live: October 9, 2004, Charlotte, NC, Bruce Hornsby, 2005
info Red Rocking Chair, Breakin' Nu Ground, 2006
info The Best of Van Morrison, Vol. 3, Van Morrison, 2006
no info We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, Bruce Springsteen 2006
info Rambling Boy, Charlie Haden Family & Friends, 2008
info Dawg and 'T': Live At Acoustic Stage, David Grisman and Tony Rice, 2017

 
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