A sample of some obscure – and maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.

Today’s selection: Roger McGuinn – “Shenandoah” 2003

“Away, we’re bound away, cross the wide Missouri“
I sometimes wonder if songs such as this, “Mr Tambourine Man“, “The Wayward Wind“, and a few others led to my itchy feet taking me west.

“Shenandoah” is known as a sea chantey but more likely originates among the river men of the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers of the early 1800s. Shenandoah was an Indian chief living along the Missouri River … or was it upper New York? There are many versions of the song – it became internationally famous as the song propagated down the rivers to the clipper ships travelling around the world.

Roger McGuinn – sometimes known as Jim McGuinn – was born in 1942 and is best known as the lead guitarist and singer for The Byrds. He began as a folksinger in the late 50s/early 60s. He co-founded The Byrds with Gene Clark in 1964. The Byrds began breaking up by 1967; McGuinn finally finished the name in 1973. He then went on to a solo career, returning to his folk music roots.

He recorded this in 2003 – one of my favorite versions.