The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #146595   Message #3401335
Posted By: Stringsinger
07-Sep-12 - 11:00 AM
Thread Name: Can a pop song become traditional?
Subject: RE: Can a pop song become traditional?
Regarding This Land Is Your Land, it has achieved international status whether you know the song or not. Its roots are in the old Carter Family rendition of the spiritual, "When the World's on Fire".

Regarding Johnny I Hardly Knew Ya' it might have originated as an English Music Hall song as did Finnegan's Wake but both certainly are known throughout Ireland and that qualifies
it as a folk song, a song sung traditionally by Irish singers.