Up here in the corner of the State, we don't get news very fast, so I don't know if SHENANDOAH made it through the legislature or not.  I hope so, since the tune is SO good, and mere title conjurs up Virginia.  Remember Jimmy Stewart in that classic movie "Shenandoah!"

Whether or not it has made it as the official temporary interim song, I suggest a grass-root campaign to carry it over the top in the next legislature.  Such may not be appropriate for VA-HIST; therefore, I hope somebody with more lyrical ability than I sets up a discussion group.   

So I'll just throw out the challenge to write words.  The problem we have is that the tune is so short.  There are just an arm load of syllables in a verse.  Sample of State Songs and their rough syllable count:

My old Kentucky Home  79 in the verse + 34 chorus = 113
Oklahoma 110  (Yep.. the one by Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Georgia 76 (Composed by Hoagy Carmichael)
On Wisconsin 50  (Better known to me in my youth as The Covington High School Fight Song.)
The Moonlight's Fair tonight along the Wabash (Indiana)  44 on the chorus alone

Shanandoah 38

But take heart from another couple of comparisons:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star   42 in the short version (56 if you repeat the first strain)
Chester (Wm Billing's stirring marching song of the New England Regiments)  32

Just to show the word-pictures that you can paint with only 32 syllables....

"Let tyrants shake, their iron rod
   And slav'ry clank her galling chains.
We fear them not, we trust in God,
   New England's God forever reigns."   Wm Billings

Anybody out there want to lead the lyrics' charge? 

Randy Cabell





To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions
at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html