Have to agree with Jim Carroll. Knowing, appreciating and having story line knowledge of what the song is trying to say, especially when it tells a story, as ballads do, helps you remember them. I sang Streams of Lovely Nancy for years before finding out what it is all about. Far easier to remember it now.

I suppose that?s why I used to struggle with Sweet Thames Flow Softly. The verses would have been easier if the geography of the river flowed with the names locations but they jump around and don?t follow a story till the end. That took perseverance and bloody mindedness to ram it in my skull. Still, forty years on, it?s still there I suppose.

Word association is the main trick I use. When I sing Recruited Collier for instance. To this day, I can still struggle to sing ?stubble field.? As I?m getting near to it, I still concoct an image of Barney Rubble, rhymes with Stubble.

And the rest....