no what jim means isn't the raw material

folksong is wonderful. its a means of self expression open to everybody living in England and speaking English. you can write a song, sing it in a folk club - you don't need to fanny about begging record companies to record you, middle class publishers to publish . you can go out and within a week you will have published your creative effort to more than if you'd got it printed in the observer.

the thrill of creation is an unspeakable joy. to meet someone else writing about their life is wonderful. if the song is good -its like sharing their lives, their sense of humour.

no doubt - jim's writers had something to say one day... but its not got much chance of being heard. his followers insist on singing in weird voices - trying to duplicate something that happened centuries ago. and as you can see - every attempt to make it more understandable is sneered at.

and what's worse is this patina of respectability - on what were pretty subversive statements.
the raw material....nah!