As a child of a folk singer I grew up with some of the most gruesome and gory songs of any kid in my neighborhood. And we kids loved them all. The more traditional ones like Babes in the Wood (The Copper Family) and a Marais and Miranda song "Siembamba" that was purported to be a lullaby (no idea how old it is), and then there was the modern parody by Tom Lehrer - The Irish Ballad. Another favorite was the traditional The Cruel Mother (Greenwood Siding) (Ian and Sylvia, here) that was so heartbreaking. . .

What was the question?