Unfortunately, it does depend on the setting. Among other things, we do pub gigs, and you can't expect people to sit and listen in more or less silence, like they do in folk clubs. People are in the bar socialising, drinking, chatting, etc., and there's no point in expecting them to shut up. They just want you for background music, and if the pub is paying you, you can't argue. Depending on the gig (sometimes we are asked to do specific types of music), we tend to play mainly tunes in this case, or sing chorus songs, so that anyone who wants to join in, can do. There's not much point in singing a quiet song with 'meaningful' words, because nobody will hear it properly.

If you're used to a folk club environment, it makes it less enjoyable if you think that people aren't listening to what you're doing, but you just have to accept it and get on with it. There are usually a few people who do want to listen, which sort of justifies what you're doing.