Shady Grove
David Grisman & Jerry Garcia Lyrics
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Eyes of the deepest brown
You are the darling of my heart
Stay till she sun goes down
Shady Grove, my little love
Shady Grove, I say
Shady Grove, my little love
Shady Grove my little love
Standin' in the door
Shose and stockin's in her hand
I'm bound to go away
Shady Grove my little love
Standin' in the door
Shose and stockin's in her hand
And her little bare feet on the floor
Wish I had a big, fine horse
And the Corn to feed him on
And Shady Grove to stay at home
And feed him while I'm gone
I used to have an old banjo
The strings were made of twine
The only song that it would play
Was "Trouble on my Mind".
Peaches in the summertime
Apples in the fall
If I can't have the girl I love
I won't have none at all.
Shady Grove, my little love
Shady Grove, I say
Shady Grove, my little love
Don't wait till Judgment Day
The song "Shady Grove" by David Grisman and Tony Rice is a classic folk tune that tells the story of an unrequited love. The lyrics describe a woman with rosy cheeks and deep brown eyes who is the "darling of my heart." The singer begs her to stay until the sun goes down, but eventually must leave her behind. The woman waits for him in the doorway, holding her shoes and stockings in her hand, with her bare feet on the floor.
The singer yearns for a simple country life with his lover, wishing for a big horse and corn to feed it, and for her to stay home and take care of it while he's away. He reminisces about the past when he had an old banjo that could only play one song, and about the bittersweetness of love itself, saying, "If I can't have the girl I love, I won't have none at all." In the end, he implores his lover not to wait until Judgment Day to be together again.
Overall, "Shady Grove" is a lament for a love that can never truly be fulfilled, a wistful longing for a simpler, more pastoral way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Cheeks as red as the blooming rose
Her cheeks are as red as a blooming rose
Eyes of the deepest brown
Her eyes are the deepest shade of brown
You are the darling of my heart
My heart belongs to you, my beloved
Stay till she sun goes down
Stay with me till the ending of the day
Shady Grove, my little love
My dear love, Shady Grove
Shady Grove, I say
I am calling to her, Shady Grove
I'm going to leave you here
I must depart from you now
Standin' in the door
She stands in the doorway
Shose and stockin's in her hand
She holds her shoes and stockings in her hand
I'm bound to go away
I am obliged to depart
And her little bare feet on the floor
Her feet are bare, touching the ground
Wish I had a big, fine horse
I desire to have a large, excellent horse
And the Corn to feed him on
And the sustenance to nourish him
And Shady Grove to stay at home
And have Shady Grove remain at home
And feed him while I'm gone
To provide for him while I am absent
I used to have an old banjo
I had an old banjo once
The strings were made of twine
Its strings were crafted from twine
The only song that it would play
It would only produce one song
Was "Trouble on my Mind".
That song being "Trouble on my Mind".
Peaches in the summertime
When summer comes, peaches are in season
Apples in the fall
In autumn, apples ripen
If I can't have the girl I love
If I cannot be with my beloved
I won't have none at all.
Then I want nothing else
Don't wait till Judgment Day
Do not delay, my love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KENNETH CHESNEY, BUDDY CANNON, TIMOTHY HENSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elizondomountaindewherbert3250
Peaches in the summertime
Apples in the fall
If I can't have the girl I love
I don't want none at all
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for Shady Grove
I wish I had a banjo string
Made of golden twine
Every tune I'd play on it
I wish that girl was mine
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for Shady Grove
I wish I had a needle and thread
Fine as I could sew
Sew that pretty girl to my side
And down the road I'd go
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for Shady Grove
Some come here to fiddle and dance
Some come here to tarry
Some come here to fiddle and dance
I come here to marry
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for Shady Grove
Every night when I go home
Wife, I try to please her
The more I try, the worse she gets
Damned if I don't leave her
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for Shady Grove
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, my darlin'
Shady grove, my little love
I'm goin' back to Berlin
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for Shady Grove
@michaelbizzarro624
God the flood of childhood nostalgia. My dad always listened to this album while smoking cigar at night in our cabin out in two rivers Alaska. Everytime I hear this it hits me
@kathleenmills1956
Wow...you explaining it that way made feel like I was right there with you. Wish I had been...sounds like my kind of place.
@user-co4xl7wx3q
Indeed, one of my first girlfriends- her Fad was an accomplished bluegrass musician, and I knew nothing about this type of music. His band played in backyard during a potluck one Summer, this song, just guitar & mandolin, Two vocals...and it was as though I had died and elevated to the House of Songs - the Music of the Angels. I love the Garcia/Grisman version, but how I wish I could recapture those beautiful harmonies I heard that summer evening.
My God
@cstar44b91
That's a beautiful image 😍
What a sweet memory to have!
@elizabethvictoria511
My dad always listened to this while smoking weed lol
But he's gone now and that's why I'm here listening
@Animagolds
SO VIM AQUI PELA SERIE
@Lol_Pig
I never got into folk/Appalachian music until O Brother, then the floodgates opened. This particular cover, his voice is most fitting!
@QuirrellPotter
I am 14, and I grew up listening to this duo. Every night, my mom would play their songs to me. Great, great music.
@gybe2ho
Needs more cow bell 🤔
@chuckjeffery944
Hope you are doing well...