I do a few whaling songs, such as "Greenland Whale Fishery," "Blow Ye Winds in the Morning," and Gordon Bok's "Mr. Eneos," and although I haven't yet had anyone jump me for political correctness (or lack thereof), I'm braced for when it might happen.

1. These songs are part of America's history, whether you like it or not;
2. by singing these songs, I am, in no way, condoning whaling; and
3. in most of the whaling songs I sing, the whale wins.

I'm never sure of doing Stephen Foster songs.   I don't do any, but he does have some really nice songs that I would like to sing, except many of them contain words or lines that the PC police would probably land on in a nanosecond. Such lines as

Nellie was a lady,
Last night she died.
Toll the bell for lovely Nell,
My dark Virginny bride.

I could change it to "sweet" Virginny bride, but that sort of grates on me, and it's giving in to the bowdlerizers. So I wimp out and just don't sing it. Damned shame. It's a beautiful, tender song.

Don Firth