"I was referring to his PhD thesis which I downloaded and read some time ago."
I know you were - he sent me a copy some years ago - it's far from an easy read which is why I'm convinced you haven't read it
Nobody who has read it can possibly describe it as you did - I had problems and I've been reading such works for at least forty years
I was referring to "Street Ballads in Nineteenth-Century Britain, Ireland, and North America" edited by David Harker and Steve Roud, with a chapters by John Moulden and others - easier to read but still not easy - and the exorbitant price is quite likely to restrict its circulation to 'academics' unfortunately
I was lucky enough to be sent a copy

You are welcome to respond to me and hopefully others comments on what I believe to be the real meat of folk songs - the songs and the singers
Personally, I hope you do - you have much to learn, as we all have - all you need is the desire to, which you appear to lack at present
You stay safe too - dy' hear now (as they used to say in Hill Street Blues)
Jim Carroll