Man, this topic is a real cornucopia--it never runs out.

RUS is a great book, full of great songs. It is very useful--AT HOME. You can even sing exactly the RUS version of a song--(it's after all just snapshots of songs--no pretense to ultimate truth)---if you memorize it.

If you are leading a song, your version of it is by definition the right one.

Surely in any group of people buried in RUS pages there are some who actually know songs. Let them lead--without THE BOOK. Maybe it will encourage others to actually learn songs.

It's not necessary for everybody to sing every word of every verse--that's what choruses are for--and if you don't know the chorus it can be taught-- without THE BOOK.

I know some songs but I don't expect or insist on singing every word of every song that everybody sings. I like to hear others leading, and I love singing choruses. It doesn't bother me if people leave out verses or even if the leader stumbles a bit--as long as it's not stumbling while reading out of THE BOOK. If a ballad is sung, it's harder to keep a group's interest (unless there's a refrain of some sort)--but it can be done.

Humorous songs of any kind are always a good choice at a session as far as I'm concerned--especially since I don't know many.

I might know in advance when I get to a session that the Blue Book plague has carried off an entire group--therefore there's no hope. Even then I will try to pick songs which aren't in THE BOOK--songs with good simple choruses and good opportunities for harmony--and I will be glad to teach the chorus.

Otherwise--if I'm not expecting RUS-- when even one RUS comes out, I'm gone--I'd rather sing for hours alone in the woods--but I know I won't be alone.