The labeling of songs, nationality and mytholigising. comes into this one.   In 1974, my father Stewart Ross wrote a wholly original (words and music) song called 'Here's To Scottish Whisky' for a TV program ceilidh sing-a-long. The song wasn't recorded or used, but was instead recorded in full on 'heather and haggis' style by the Tartan Lads. It was a title track of an EMI LP and then included on many compilations as a song representing Scotland and it's 'national drink'.

Not sung live that much though, as it's most famous recording had an orchestration.

Years later I find that a music writer has come out with a book 'Taboo Tunes' - a history of banned music. He's talking about the Irish having 'Whiskey in the Jar' and the Scots having 'Here's to Scottish Whisky' as being sung in American drinking dens, despite the subject matter being politically incorrect.   

The song didn't exist until 1974! Also, it was about as authentic as a plastic Nessie. My father didn't drink and wrote it to order.

The trad. music style idiom label given by record companies created a myth. An assumption was made that a stereotype heather and haggis song must be of a certain vintage. So that's why getting a song's chronology and documented story as well as its nationality is important, if not you propagate a myth.

I wrote to the author sent him documentation, interviews and press stuff - and he admitted a cock up.