American Patchwork Quartet - "Shenandoah"

Shrouded in mystery, the origins of "Shenandoah" are believed to lie with the voyageurs, French-Canadian fur traders who later passed the song onto flat-boatmen and sailors navigating the Missouri River and other American waterways. The song's lyrics capture the universal ache of longing and separation, as the singer yearns for the daughter of an Indian chief named Shenandoah. In our rendition, we reframe this narrative to center on a daughter seeking connection with her father and home. Through the various versions that have emerged over time, the themes of love, longing, and the vast expanse of the Missouri remain constant.

Lyrics:

Oh, Shenandoah,
I long to hear you,
Away you rolling river.
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away, I'm bound away,
'cross the wide Missouri.

Oh Shenandoah,
I am your daughter,
Away, you rolling river.
For you I'd cross,
Your roaming waters,
Away, I'm bound away,
'Cross the wide Missouri.

It’s been seven years,
since last I've seen you,
And hear your rolling river.
It’s been seven years,
since last I've seen you,
Away, we're bound away,
Across the wide Missouri.

Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
And hear your rolling river.
Oh Shenandoah,
I long to see you,
Away, we're bound away,
Across the wide Missouri.

Credits:
Traditional Arranged by Clay Ross & Falguni Shah
Songwriters: John Clayton Ross (ASCAP), Shah Falguni Gaurav (BMI)
Publishing: Yalcmusic (ASCAP), Falu Music Publishing (BMI)

Clay Ross - Producer, Electric Guitars
Clarence Penn - Associate Producer, Drums & Percussion
Shani Gandhi - Associate Producer, Engineer, and Mixing Engineer
Falguni Shah (Falu) - Vocals
Yasushi Nakamura - Acoustic & Electric Bass
Dowell Gandy - Assistant Engineer
Gavin Lurssen - Mastering Engineer
Kylie Sager - Mixing Assistant
Recorded at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC
May 16 - 20, 2022