Lyr. Add: SHENANDOAH (Whall 1910?)

Oh, Missouri, she's a mighty river,
Away you rolling river.
The Red-skins' camp lies on its borders,
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

The white man loved the Indian maiden,
Away you rolling river.
With notions sweet his canoe was laden.
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

"O Shenandoah, I love your daughter,
Away you rolling river.
I'll take her 'cross yon rolling water."
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

The chief disdained the trader's dollars:
Away, you rolling river.
"My daughter never you shall follow."
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

At last there came a Yankee skipper,
Away you rolling river.
He winked his eye, and he tipped his flipper.
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

He sold the chief that fire-water,
Away you rolling river.
And 'cross the river he stole his daughter,
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

"O Shenandoah, I long to hear you,
Away you rolling river.
Across that wide and rolling river."
Ah-ha, I'm bound away 'cross the wide Missouri.

This thread is long, with several versions and much speculation, but surprisingly no one has posted the version printed by Whall, the first in print (1910). The music and text printed by the Fifes purports to be Whall's; I don't have his volume, so I print from the Fifes' book.
In a posting above, someone claimed that Whall states that the song was heard in the 1860s, but not having seen the book, I don't know if that is true, or if Whall was just speculating. No quote is given. As Malcolm Douglas has stated, there is no printed evidence of the song before 1910.

A post by Abby Sale opens up another possible line of investigation, dealing with Caribbean rowing songs.

Fife, Austin E. and Alta S., 1969 (and reprints), "Cowboy and Western Songs," #1, pp. 2-3.