Shady Grove
"Shady Grove" is a bluegrass/country/folk standard, and has been recorded by the like of Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, and the Everly Brothers. Musicological scholarship says "Shady Grove" originated with song "Matty Groves," a traditional English or Scottish ballad dating back to the early 1600s. If you listen to the melody of the latter, you can hear the resemblance.
One thing I find very interesting about the song "Shady Grove" is that in continues to be performed in the traditional sense that it will be played and sung differently each time. Historically, before songs could be written down or recorded, they changed each time someone played and/or sang them. The change was even more significant when the song traveled to a new area. This song seems to vary the most, even today, between performer(s). The same goes whenever Jerry performed it. If you listen to his version from 1962 (available on the album Before the Dead), you'll notice how different both the music and lyrics are from his later recordings of the song with David Grisman. And even between different Garcia/Grisman recordings, Jerry tends to vary the lyrics quite a bit, pulling from the song's rich history and repertoire.
Lyrics
Lyrics from the Shady Grove version:
Peaches in the summertime
Apples in the fall
If I can't have the girl I love
I don't want none at all
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
I wish I had a banjo string
Made of golden twine
Every tune I'd play on it
I wish that girl were mine
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
I wish I had a needle and thread
Fine as I could sew
I'd sew that pretty girl to my side
And down the road I'd go
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Some come here to fiddle and dance
Some come here to tarry
Some come here to fiddle and dance
I come here to marry
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Every night when I go home
My wife, I try to please her
The more I try, the worse she gets
Damned if I don't leave her
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Shady Grove my little love
Shady Grove my darling
Shady Grove my little love
I’m going back to Harlan
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Lyrics from the Pizza Tapes version:
Peaches in the summertime
Apples in the fall
If I can't get the girl I love
I won’t have none at all
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Wish I had a banjo string
Made of golden twine
Every tune I’d pick on it
I wish that girl were mine
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Some come here to fiddle and dance
Some come here to tarry
Some come here to fiddle and dance
I come here to marry
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Every night when I go home
My wife, I try to please her
The more I try, the worse she gets
Damned if I don't leave her
Shady Grove my little love
Shady Grove my darling
Shady Grove my little love
I’m going back to Harlan
Every night when I go home
My wife, I try to please her
The more I try, the worse she gets
Damned if I don't leave her
Shady grove, my little love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Fly around, my pretty little miss
Fly around, my Daisy
Fly around, my pretty little miss
Nearly drive me crazy
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, I know
Shady grove, my little love
I'm bound for shady grove
Lyrics from the Before the Dead version:
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, my honey
Shady grove, my true love
Bound for shady grove
Wished I had a needle and thread
Fine as I could sew
I'd sew that pretty girl to my side
And down the road I'd go
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, my honey
Shady grove, my true love
Bound for shady grove
When I was a little boy
My mama told me
If I never kissed a girl
My lips would grow all mouldy
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, my honey
Shady grove, my true love
Bound for shady grove
Every night when I go home
My wife I try to please her
The more I try the worse she gets
Damned if I don't leave her
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, my honey
Shady grove, my true love
Bound for shady grove
When I was a little boy
I wanted a whittlin' knife
Now I am a great big boy
I want a little wife
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, my honey
Shady grove, my true love
Bound for shady grove
Wished I had a banjo string
Made of golden twine
Every tune I play on it
I wish that girl was mine
Shady grove, my true love
Shady grove, my honey
Shady grove, my true love
Bound for shady grove
Lead Sheet
