Songs travel and influence people.

We finished a 1999 cycling trip in China with a few days in Beijing. On our last day (from my diary):

The morning was clear bright and warm, and we continued walking along the main street to pass the Forbidden City and turn north up the west side. Lunch about 13:45 of noodles, beef & green pepper, tofu and spinach, with beer and tea for 78y. Then over to the park and up to the top of the hill. The building on the top was being renovated, and this limited the views, but they were still good. Near the top there were two older men playing guitar and fiddle, and some youngsters from a group were joining in some of the songs. When they identified us as English, they played Red River Valley and Greensleeves, which I had to sing. One of them spoke fair English, and he was a petroleum engineer who had visited Scotland, including Orkney & Shetland. The other was a highway engineer with 40 years experience of bridge design and construction.

Again, only the first verse and chorus, which was all I could remember.

Phil