Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

Shepherd Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell

Young Man in America

2012

[Verse 1]
Said the shepherd to his wife:
"The crop of hay is cut and dried
I'll bale it up and bring it in
Before the coming storm begins"
"Go", she said, "And beat the storm
And then there is another chore
Today the baby will be born
You'll take me to the hospital"
Said the shepherd, "If it's true
'T'were better if I stayed with you
I'd rather let the harvest go
And hasten to the hospital"
"Nay," she told him, "I'll be fine
We both have laboring to do
You do yours and I'll do mine
And the babe will wait 'til the work is through"

[Verse 2]
The shepherd rode the yellow rows
The clouds above and the field below
Until the bales had all been tied
Then homeward turned to find his wife
The sweat was wet upon her brow
Her breath it cameth laboredly
And then the rain was coming down
Upon the field of yellow hay
Said the shepherd, "It's no use
The rain will surely win the race
'Twere better if we let it fall
And hurry to the hospital"
"Go," she said, "And work with haste
And bring the bales into the barn
Else the crop will go to waste
And the babe will wait 'til the work is done"

[Verse 3]
The shepherd drove into the storm
And to and from the yellow barn
'Til half the bales were safely in
Then went to find his wife again
How many times her name he called
And no replying would she make
Her breath it cameth not at all
She would not rise from where she lay

[Verse 4]
The storm was o'er within the hour
The shepherd saw the sun come out
The shepherd's wife saw ne'er again
He buried her and the babe within
He turned the seed into the ground
He brought the flock to feed thereon
He held the cleaver and the plow
And the shepherd's work was never done
Credits
Anaïs Mitchell

Anaïs Mitchell

About “Shepherd” by Anaïs Mitchell

Read the complete lyrics to "Shepherd" by Anaïs Mitchell from the album "Young Man in America" in 2012. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Country, Folk.

"Shepherd" is performed by Anaïs Mitchell. from the album "Young Man in America" in 2012 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Shepherd", explore more songs by Anaïs Mitchell using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Anaïs Mitchell · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Shepherd" is credited to Anaïs Mitchell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Shepherd" appears on "Young Man in America" in 2012.

Visit the Anaïs Mitchell artist page at /artist/anais-mitchell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

Changer
Backroads
Annmarie
Any Way You Come
Bright Star
1984
Any Way the Wind Blows
Brooklyn Bridge
Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features

Company

About

Artists

Trending

Legal

Privacy

Terms

Copyright

Support

Contact

Features

Charts

© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.