O Shenandoah!

Seems a bit ironic that the classic folk song "Shenandoah" was my college's theme song and that I found it distasteful back when I was attending school football games. How could the band go from a rousing Fleetwood Mac tune to Shenandoah?

Years later, after I developed a love for canoeing, I had the opportunity to do a solo trip on the actual river Shenandoah, in Virginia. It became a deep and personal memory for me, riding in silence discovering animals and riffles on my own, and lugging a 70-plus pound canoe on my own.

Recently, I inherited a few CDs from a friend. ONe of them had a rendition of Shenandoah on it. And now, every time I listen to it, I tear up a little. I can relate to the longing expressed in those great lyrics, and I don't see it as a nerdy, old-fashioned song anymore.

See this version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMsfkEMZREU