The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #4215   Message #22798
Posted By: Jerry Friedman
02-Mar-98 - 11:56 PM
Thread Name: Methodologies -- who writes the songs?
Subject: RE: Methodologies -- who writes the songs?
Either Joe O. or somebody else was talking about the difference between Gershwin or Cole Porter songs and folk songs, both of which may be familiar to many people. If I may try to nutshell what I think he was saying, "standards" are sung by someone to an audience; folk songs are adopted by a wide group (perhaps in accordance with the intention of the author). The one Gershwin song I'd call a folk song is "Summertime"--but then Porgy and Bess was called a folk opera.

So "folk" can mean any of three kinds of songs to me. 1) Anonymous and probably the work of many voices through the "folk process". 2)Composed with a strong influence of the styles of music of type 1. 3) Performed by people with or at least for each other.

The first week I was in college, I remember fellow freshman gathered around the piano (played by a sophomore) and singing Beatles songs, "Those Were the Days", etc. If I could sing I would have joined them. (It doesn't take a psychologist to figure out why new college students might enjoy a combination of togetherness and nostalgia.) There's a big historical and musical difference between "Ticket to Ride" and "The Water is Wide", but the social difference may not be that great.