Shenandoah
Daniel Rodriguez Lyrics


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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'll not deceive you




Away I'm bound away
'Cross the wide Missouri

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Shenandoah" convey a deep longing for the river that runs through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The singer expresses a desire to hear the river once again, along with a deep love for the daughter of Shenandoah. This love, however, is bittersweet, as the singer knows that they must leave and cross the wide Missouri river.


The song is often interpreted as a tribute to the American Westward Expansion of the 19th century, as the Missouri river was a key transportation route for those settlers heading west. By invoking Shenandoah, the song brings to mind the struggles and hardships of those early pioneers.


But beyond its historical context, "Shenandoah" is also a song about longing and loss, and the deep connection that people can have to the natural world. The river and the daughter of Shenandoah represent something pure and unchanging, a reminder of home in a world that often seems uncertain and ever-changing.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh Shenandoah
The singer is addressing the Shenandoah river with affection.


I long to hear you
The singer misses the sound of the river.


Away you rolling river
Addressing the river as it flows away.


Oh Shenandoah
Repeating the singer's affectionate address.


I long to hear you
Repeating the singer's desire to hear the river.


Away I'm bound away
The singer is leaving and moving in a certain direction.


'Cross the wide Missouri
The river is being crossed as the singer is leaving.


Oh Shenandoah
Repeating the affectionate address.


I love your daughter
The daughter of the river, perhaps referring to a town or place near the river.


Away you rolling river
Repeating the address of the flowing river.


Oh Shenandoah
Repeating the affectionate address of the river.


I love your daughter
Repeating the singer's love and perhaps nostalgia for the place near the river.


Away I'm bound away
Repeating the direction of the singer's departure.


'Cross the wide Missouri
Repeating the river being crossed as the singer leaves.


Oh Shenandoah
Repeating the affectionate address of the river.


I'm bound to leave you
The singer is reiterating their intention to leave the river behind.


Away you rolling river
Repeating the address of the departing river.


Oh Shenandoah
The singer is trying to assure the river that they won't forget it.


I'll not deceive you
The singer means to convey that they will not lie to the river about their true feelings for it.


Away I'm bound away
Reiterating the direction of the singer's departure away from the river.


'Cross the wide Missouri
Repeating the river that will be crossed as the singer leaves.




Lyrics © Public Domain

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