Shady Grove

A traditional love song stitched from longing, remembered dances, and floating verses.

Status: Traditional repertoire · working songbook
Writer / source: Traditional Appalachian song family, related to older British Isles ballad/tune strains
Rights: Older song or tune family. The source of this particular working version and its arrangement is still being reviewed.
Related Scrips recording: No Scrips recording linked yet.

Source research

Documented lineage

Earliest evidence: Collected in early twentieth-century Appalachian tradition
Aliases / index: Roud Roud 4456 / related families vary by index
Working arrangement: Key G · Capo 0

Evidence 01 Evidence 02 Download full research note ↓

Working lyrics + chords

Working song sheet

Download text file ↓ Download ChordPro ↓

Shady Grove, my little love, Shady Grove, I say;
Shady Grove, my little love, I'm bound for Harlan town.

Peaches in the summer time, apples in the fall;
If I can't have the girl I love, I won't have none at all.

Repeat chorus

Wish I had a big fine horse, corn to feed him on;
And Shady Grove to stay at home and feed him while I'm gone.

Repeat chorus

Don't you remember, Shady Grove, when we used to dance?All along the froggy banks we held each other's hands.

Repeat chorus

Archive note

This is a working band sheet. Lyrics, repeats, and chord placement remain subject to the band’s final review.

Chords

G · C · D