I think you've got a point, Whistle Stop. I think automobiles came along right at the end of the time when traditional folk music was insulated from modernity by the lack of radios and TV's in the backwoods. I sort of have a mental-subcategory of "on the cusp" songs, where traditional music meets techie stuff. The results are not always pretty, but I have a soft spot in my heart for "I Heard the Crash on the Highway, But I Didn't Hear Nobody Pray." Seeger's "Strontium 90" fits that category, as does my other fave, "The Great Atomic Power." I think it's a send-up of some spiritual tune.

Are you ready for the great atomic power;/ Will you rise and meet your Savior in the air?/ Will you shout or will you cry, when the fire comes from on high?/ Are you ready for the great atomic power?

Of course, it helps to have large cheeks, to hold your tongue in and sing at the same time.

C.C.