There are many fine songwriters here on the Cat who have had a life-long love affair with traditional folk music. I certainly have. While I've never set out to write a "fake/folk song," lines, verses, and melodies mysteriously appear, drawn from the well of all the music that I've listened to and loved all these years. I'd enjoy hearing from other songwriters who've had similar experiences, where lines appear unbidden only to be recognized later as being from a traditional song.

Here's an example to start off.

Many years ago, I was stopped at a traffic light and without warning the first verse of a song popped into my head:

"Late last night when Uncle Willie came home
He made a rattle at the door like the shaking of bones
She jumped to the window and she peeked out the blind
Uncle Willie's in the sheets again"

By the time I'd arrived home five minutes later, I had two more verses and the song was almost finished. So, where in the world did it come from?

The first line certainly sounds like the opening line of Little Sadie, "Late last night, I was making my rounds." It also has the feel of the Doc Watson song that starts out "Way down town, foolin' around." Old-Timey Music At Clarence Ashley's is one of my favorite albums, so it's no surprise that a line or two, or a general feel for a song might have come from there. Toss in The Spring of '65, and even John Johanna and I was in familiar territory.

Even the name Willie, which appears in several of my songs (Willie's Dog being another) has a very folkie feel to it.

The second pair of lines sounds suspiciously like:

"Old mother Flipper-flopper jumped out of bed
Threw open the window and she stuck out her head"

I've sung The Fox for most of my life, learned from an old Burl Ives record, so the imagery is in there.

I have the feeling that songs that we now call "traditional" and have raised to untouchable purity most likely came about much like this song: Uncle Willie's In The Sheets. Art has always been about borrowing and builing upon. Not Mister Thieme, although he has done his share as well.

I think this would be a great topic for a songwriter's workshop. It would take a lot of advance preparation. WOuld take a little thought, too.

So, get thinking... got any examples you can share?

Jerry