Mariner,

Ya know, ya caught me on a crabby day. I am really pleased though that you HEARD me, Mariner, because it's such a pleasure that you care enough even if someone bristles.

OK, so I'm crabby, what was it about THIS thread that got me going? I think what got to me about this was remembering all the threads there have been discussing back and forth, endlessly, some song I'd never even heard of-- people trying to sort out, hundreds of years after a song's birth, how the song first was sung, how it shifted to other meanings, words, tunes...

I have an awful lot of respect for not only the knowledge behind this process, but the energy people doing that have put into fishing up details for each other and LISTENING to each other.

I just got my back up when your "alternative" approach was, "This sucks!!"

Cuz see, I dunno ANY of these versions.... any of the reasons why one word matters here, another there-- but if all you do is say they suck, I don't WANT to know any more. See? You get to be the teacher... YOU get to be the one to pass on something that is clearly important to you. People will fish up this thread years and years later and if you post what YOU can contribute, others will too, and it will ALL be here.

Just think, if a hundred years ago or two, people could have documented as personally and thoroughly as we can here. Makes me just wonder who will add what... see?

No apologies for being crabby... but encouragement to go after the things these songs oughtta have in their "record." Go for it. I'll be looking forward to what happens.

~curtsey~

~S~