I'm finding this thread rather interesting. I'll make a couple of comments in the hope that it adds to the discussion:

Back in 1959, I had the pleasure of meeting James Stevens, the composer of "The Frozen Logger." The occasion was a live TV show we were preparing for and we were in the green room, just before the show started. Don Firth (GREAT SINGER) had just sung "The Frozen Logger" for Jim, but in his best Swedish accent. Jim LOVED it, but he said, with some heat, that "no one sings it the way I wrote it." The third line of the first verse is usually sung: "A forty year old Waitress ...". Jim said: "I wote it: a six foot seven waitress ...". I've always made point of singing it that way since.

Another thought, and this might bring a smile to Mary Garvey's face. By the way, in case you don't know it, Mary is a superb and prolific songwriter. Mary, do you remember a couple of years ago when we were having lunch in Illwaco, and I asked your permission to change two words in your wonderful song: "Bring The Salmon Home"? You gave me permisison and I did. But I wanted your permission first ... I feel that the composer of a song has "first rights"!. CHEERS, bob(deckman)nelson