[Intro] [Male Lead: Close-mic Southern/Appalachian voice; intimate, playful, almost whispered.] Shady Grove... Shady Grove... Come walk with me... [Verse 1] [Male Lead: Warm storytelling, playful beneath a hint of mystery.] Shady Grove, my true love, come walk with me Moon is hanging silver through the cedar tree Creek is humming low where the shadows sway And every little footstep seems to know the way I found her where the old oak meets the hill Laughing at the moon while the whole world stood still She took my hand and said, “Don't wander far” Then we disappeared beneath the mountain stars [Chorus] [Male Lead: Romantic, catchy, lightly mischievous; fuller but controlled.] Shady Grove, Shady Grove, take my hand tonight Spin me through the mountain moonlight Every shadow sings, every hill comes alive With you beside me, I feel alive Shady Grove, Shady Grove, stay with me awhile There's a little danger hiding in that smile Let the creek keep talking, let the old pines sway We'll dance until the darkness gives way to day [Rap Verse 1] [Male Lead: Low rhythmic Southern cadence; playful and intimate.] Climbing up the ridge, footsteps in the dew Every path I take keeps leading me to you Moonlight on the water, rhythm in the pine Mountain got a story and your heart's tied to mine Boots on the trail, got the night on my side You laugh when I stumble, then you pull me outside No map in my pocket, no need to know the road When Shady Grove is waiting at the end of the hollow [Verse 2] [Male Lead: More intimate, slightly darker storytelling.] We walked past the creek where the blackbirds sleep While the moon cast shadows that were long and deep Something in the darkness made the branches move She just smiled at me and said, “It's only you” Stars above us trembling through the leaves Wind kept whispering secrets nobody believes She leaned against me, quiet as the night And somehow all that darkness felt completely right [Chorus] [Male Lead: Fuller romantic energy; maintain relaxed midrange.] Shady Grove, Shady Grove, take my hand tonight Spin me through the mountain moonlight Every shadow sings, every hill comes alive With you beside me, I feel alive Shady Grove, Shady Grove, stay with me awhile There's a little danger hiding in that smile Let the creek keep talking, let the old pines sway We'll dance until the darkness gives way to day [Rap Verse 2] [Male Lead: More rhythmic momentum; confident but still conversational.] Through the hollers deep, hear the echoes call Old stories in the timber written on the wall Every laugh, every step, every secret song Shady Grove is where this restless heart belongs Maybe it's the moon, maybe it's the wine Maybe it's the way that little hand fits into mine Either way I'm staying till the morning comes Let the fiddle keep talking while the mandolin runs [Bridge] [Male Lead: Pull back; tender, mysterious, almost confessional.] Mountains rise above us, valleys hold the tale Every whisper rides the night upon the gale Time bends softly where the shadows meet the light Shady Grove, my love, hold me through the night If tomorrow calls us down another road I'll remember every step we took beneath these oaks And if the moon comes looking for us when we're gone Tell her we were dancing here until the dawn [Final Chorus] [Male Lead: Full emotional warmth and playful intensity; never shouted.] Shady Grove, Shady Grove, take my hand tonight Spin me through the mountain moonlight Every shadow sings, every hill comes alive With you beside me, I feel alive Shady Grove, Shady Grove, stay with me awhile There's a little danger hiding in that smile Let the creek keep talking, let the old pines sway We'll dance until the darkness gives way to day Shady Grove, Shady Grove, don't you let me go There's a mountain road where only we can know When the fiddle fades and the last stars move I'll still be walking home with you, Shady Grove [Outro] [Male Lead: Close-mic whisper; tender and slightly mischievous.] Shady Grove... The mountains know our song... The creek keeps running... The moon keeps moving... And I'm still walking... Right beside you... Shady Grove... Come on home.
