I suspect its a generational thing.
1) Burl Ives was an American actor/folksinger.
2) During the early 1960's when folk was a buzzword - you could have sold a dog turd with 'folk' on the box. During theis time Burl brought out a , 'how to play folk guitar' type book.   with folk songs. and suggested guitar accompaniment:
dum (bass string) followed by ching! (the treblier strings strummed)
or dum ching ching (waltz time!)
3) Burl was a great actor and he wasin the Big Country. A film about a patriarchal rancher and his bad boy son. Gregory Peck is the goody.

Gargoyle don't believe in false prophets like myself. I am infact extraordinarily clueless and a bad example to everybody. Try to follow someone more like Gregory Peck.