"Shady Grove" is a traditional Appalachian folk song (Roud 4456), believed to have originated in eastern Kentucky around the beginning the 20th century. The song was popular among old-time musicians of the Cumberlands before being widely adopted in the bluegrass repertoire. Many variants of "Shady Grove" exist (up to 300 stanzas by the early 21st century). The lyrics describes "the true love of a young man's life and his hope they will wed," and it is sometimes identified as a courting song.