Shenandoah Man - Jim Southard

This is a song about my Dad. He'll always be a role model in my mind. He was one of the "good guys" and he did it right. His memory makes me believe that being good, strong, gentle and fun area all truly possible.

I drew from old 8mm home movies from the 50's featuring my dad, his mother, his dad, his grandmother, my mom and my sisters Tina, Jill, Judy and Janey...and Staunton, Virginia and Miami, Florida.

(Ladies, he just didn't wear his shirt any more than he had to while living in Miami without air conditioning. You'll have to bear it ;) )

Lyrics:

Shenandoah Man


It takes a lifetime to learn
What's always too late to know
And I'd tell you true
I'd tell you so

If you want a man to believe in
A man for all days
Into the hands of his mother's mother
He began his ways

Out of the cornfields when times were tough
And into the town
He fought the wars his fathers left him
And whatever came down.

I know that love is elusive
I know it's hard to believe
But you can hold on to some things, baby
And you can still grieve

Chorus:

Out of the hills
From a Virginia town
Echo in my life
Echo if you can
Make me gentle
Make me what you can
Make me know God
Like the Shenandoah man

He returned from the madness of the sea
And a young light lit up his face
She bore him child after child
She bore him a house full of grace

And I still see in his eyes
The tension between dreams and duty
The fight within the man
The battle to believe in beauty

Chorus:

Out of the hills
From a Virginia town
Echo in my life
Echo all around
Make a me gentle man
And as strong as you can
Make me know You
Like the Shenandoah man

Bridge:

There's a lot of men you can follow
Some unholy...some renowned
If I could pick one I wanna be like
My heart goes to that Virginia town.

No man knows his day or his hour
You can't see the road around the hill.
But you can hold a hand in the meantime
You got a say in the time that you kill.

It takes a lifetime to learn
How to be what you can
But It's never too late to be
Like the Shenandoah man.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Virginia
• Shenandoah
• Staunton
• Augusta
• Miami
• guitar
• Jim Southard
• family
• duty
• role model

[petlazar]

Thanks Jim for sharing it!