Inspired by the "How To Sing the Blues" thread, herewith a first draft of:

HOW TO CREATE A FOLKSONG

1. All folksongs begin with the phrase: “I asked my love to take a walk”

2. The walk should be:

a. Down by the riverside
b. Past the prison
c. Into the valley
d. Over the sea and far away.

It should not be:

a. To the store for a loaf of bread
b. To Wallmart
c. Along the Champs-Elysee, Park Avenue, or Pennsylvania Avenue
d. On rollerblades.

3. The conversation along the way should be about:

a. Your racehorse
b. The perfidious British
c. The revelation that you are her/his longlost brother/husband/blacksmith/Lord
d. The inevitable baby
e. Murder