Richard Greene & Jack Shit: Shenandoah

From: Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys, ANTI- 2006.

Buy CD: http://www.amazon.com/Rogues-Gallery-Pirate-Ballads-Chanteys/dp/B000GGSMD0/re...

Explanatory liner notes by record label ANTI-:

This beautiful American song was originally used by river boatmen and voyageurs on the Ohio and Missouri rivers. It became a popular capstan chantey among deep water sailors. Shenandoah is said to have been a chief of the Oneida tribe.

Shenandoah River joins the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where abolitionist John Brown and 21 men attacked the Federal armory on December 2nd, 1859, to initiate a slave rebellion, whilst Shenandoah Valley would be the site of battles from 1862 to 1864 in the Civil War arising from incidents like that — including Kernstown, First and Second Battle of Winchester, Cross Keys, Opequon Creek, Fishers Hill, and Cedar Creek.

Herman Melville was aware of John Browns hanging, though, of course, not of the following battles, when he wrote in 1859 his early Battle-Piece "The Portent".
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Battle-Pieces_and_Aspects_of_the_War

Image: Ruth's own favourite body part, summer 2008.

Used in http://ismaels.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/rogue%e2%80%99s-gallery-the-art-of-th...

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[hempenasphalt]

I love this version of Shenandoah, even without any words it is so moving.