"Shady Grove" is a traditional Appalachian folk song, common in the repertoire of bluegrass and old-time musicians of the Cumberlands. Sung by both traditional folk musicians and folk revival musicians, it is sometimes identified as a courting song. The song describes "the true love of a young man's life and his hopes they will wed."
"Shady Grove" originates from the "Matty Groves," a traditional ballad from the British Isles variously identified as English or Scottish in origin, and dating to at least the seventeenth century. The song appears as "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard" in Francis James Child's anthology of ballads. The song traveled to the southern Appalachians around the time of the American Civil War and subsequently gained popularity. Many variants (up to 300 stanzas) exist.
The song "has been recorded by numerous artists, including Jean Ritchie, the Kingston Trio, Jerry Garcia, Tom Petty (with Mudcrutch), Bill Monroe, Crooked Still, Taj Mahal, and The Chieftains." A recording by Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley appears on Original Folkways Recordings: 1960–1962 (1994), while a version by Blood Oranges appears on Corn River (1991). Quicksilver Messenger Service recorded the song as the title track of its 1969 album Shady Grove.
Score
The score is as follows: