Let's not haggle of the use of the word "copyrighted" here, ok.

I just read in a post where a song that got recorded by someone other that the author chastised the singer for a one word mistake. The one word does make a slight difference to that verse's intent but not to the songs as a whole. (see Morning Shanty ) in this thread.

In my opinion, even though no one asked for it, & if we're talking about folk songs that are meant to be sung by others (hopefully), does anyone one (author included) have the right or control of how it's to be done once it "flies the coop"? If a singer/musician down the road puts a twist to the melody or changes a word that, say helps it scan better or just seems to enhance the song, should they be bound to the author's original & exact tune or words?
I guess it's a harder thing to answer if one is recording the song rather than if one is just singing it because they have taken a liking to it & no more. But still either way, if it's good enough for traditional songs & that's how most of the traditional repertoire was pruned, peared down, reshaped, refined & kept alive shouldn't it be the same for the written song too?
In my opinion, yes, as far as the singing of it goes, the writting down of it presents another can of worms, doesn't it.
Take Martin Grabe's "Jack In The Green", thought by many to be traditional. It's sung (as far as I know) by many differently from how Martin wrote it but both ways are lovely(actually great) none the less. (It'd be great if Martin see's this post & put's in his thoughts here but maybe he'd not see it that way, No pressure Martin)
Another example would be that a freind at the Gloucester (USA) shanty session that I attend wrote a song recently. I took it up & he was quite delighted that his song is growing legs cause of the interest of others taking it up to. Such that when he's at a session & starts it he wants the others who've taken it up to sing it with all the changes that they've made to it, & loves it when he's found that someone has put a slight change to either a word, phrase or in the tune. He calls them all his little babies & says that he loves watching them grow. Another example would be in Charlie Ipcar's reworking of Hamish's "Yangtse River Shanty". Who Hamish forbid Charlie's changes to make the song more singable. Charlie certinally is delighted in how the song he "midwifed" has taken up to finding more new lives than a cat could ever hope for. With my version, Allison Freedam's version, John Robert's & now Danny Spooner version.
So all that being said is it justifiable to change the tune somewhat or slightly or the words or a phrase (I'm not taliking about the songs intent or direction here, that I wouldn't agree with at all) even if the orginal author is against the changes. After all this is
all relative & subjective but it's also the method that has shaped traditional songs that have come before, for the better & this method has kept the traditional song's appeal alive. So because it's contemporary & there's an author does that make it a horse of a whole different color, or are there justifications where these changes can be applied?

I would include example's of my own songs that have under gone changes but so far none has seen fit to sing them never mind changing them so I can not only not give any examples, I can't even really speak to this with any 1st hand experience. So here's why I ask the rest of you. Do "we" (the folk "we") need permission or authorization to sing a song even slightly differently from the orginal author's written copyrighted way if we are to sing it differently in any way shape or form? I know I have sung songs that are different, I'm guilty but in some cases the author is now dead & in most (I said "most") cases they haven't heard me, so I haven't recieved much in the way of feed back from them.

I'm not asking about the courteousness of asking the author first here either. Cause what if you asked & the author says "no". That's a different dilemma I don't want to cover here. If you want to cover that can of worms here then by all means open up the can.

Thanks to all

Barry