There are some great new folk songs out there, but there's some great old folk songs out there as well.

And uh, I love them both, but I'm particularly fascinated with songs that have been around for a couple of hundred years.

And oftentimes they, they change lyrics.

The melody stayed the same, but people think of new words to express their experiences.

Well the song I'm going to share with you, and I hope you sing along at home, because it's a very simple chorus.

It started out as a sailor's song a sea chanty called Shenandoah.

And the chorus says “way-hey” because they are weighing anchor.

It became the most popular song on the Oregon Trail during that period of time, from about 1845 to about 1860, and practically every wagon train would sing Shenandoah around the campfires at night.

But they changed the words.

Uh, The Shenandoah River meant nothing to them.

But on their journey out west, they crossed the wide Missouri.

So they wrote new words.

And that's what they called the song, Across the Wide Missouri.

I'll blend the two together and sing you version I like.

Oh Shenandoah.

Ill not deceive you Way-hey You rolling river Oh, Shenandoah I'm bound to leave you Away Were bound away Across the wide Missouri Oh, Shenandoah I love your daughter Way-hey You rolling river And I still dream of her far across the water Away Were bound away Across the wide Missouri For seven years I've been a rover Way-hey Rolling river Oh, but Ill returned To be her lover Away Were bound away Across the wide Missouri That old Missouri She's a mighty river Way-hey You rolling river And all the Indians camp Along her border Away Were bound away Across the wide Missouri So I'm pushing on When dawns a breakin I'm going cross That wide Missouri I'm going west Though my heart is aching Away Were bound away Across the wide Missouri Oh, Shenandoah I'll not deceive you Way-hey You rolling river Oh, Shenandoah I'm bound to leave you Away Were bound away Across the wide Missouri