Beautiful River Song

The Shenandoah River [taken from here]

This picture made me think of how lovely the song of the same name is [first heard last year in Sydney during the Choral Presentation at Sydney Opera House which is part of the Music Festival that CCHMS band was part of].

The Missouri, she's a might river
Away you rolling river
The red man's camp lies on her borders
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

A white man loved an Indian maiden
Away you rolling river
With notions sweet his canoe was laden
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

O Shenandoah, I love your daughter
Away you rolling river
I'll take her 'cross the rolling water
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

The chief disdained the trader's dollars
Away you rolling river
My daughter never you shall follow
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

At last there came a Yankee skipper
Away you rolling river
He winked his eye, and he tipped his flipper
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

He sold the chief that fire-water
Away you rolling river
And 'cross the river he stole his daughter
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

O Shenandoah, I long to hear you
Away you rolling river
Across the wide and rolling water
Away, we're bound away across the wide Missouri

[Lyrics taken from here]

Though the choir version was only:

O Shenandoah, I long to see you
And hear your rolling river
O Shenandoah, I long to see you
Way we are bound away
Across the wide Missouri

Rivers are beautiful and can inspire many tales of love and longing but they are also nature's way of telling us that She is still in control.

Like the sad incident that occured recently in New Orleans.

Listening to this American "River Song" while flipping through Time's special report of the aftermath of the wrath of Katrina touches one alot. Seeing the desperate faces of people trying to survive as much as possible [to the extent of giving food to one's dog instead of eating it], satellite pictures of the flooded city, and the state that they are in makes me think that we really are lucky. We either help or pray for them.

Pray hard.

Bloomingdale Senior High School Chorus-Shenandoah