Sharyn-

Hmmm. How about adding a chorus to someone's song? If we can ignore the legal rights of the song's composer for the moment, it seems to me that it's really a "group" value judgment on whether that is an "improvement" and we'll only know if it's really an improvement if the change is adopted by those who sing it. Folk process as the survival of the fittest is hardly a novel theory but it's probably the bottom line for me.

To be specific, I wrote a chorus to Trevor Crozier's fine drinking song "Dead Dog Scrumpy"("Dead Dog Cider'), which you kindly sang along on when I was visiting San Francisco. Unfortunately Trevor died a few years ago so I was unable to consult with him but I'd like to think he'd approve the change in spirit:

G-----------------------D7-G----C--------D7--G
Now, here's to Dead Dog Cid-er, the best there is by far;
-------------------D7-C----A-------------D7
Here's to Dead Dog Cid-er, no moaning at the bar;
--------C--------------------G--------------C-G----D7
You can search this wide world over, find many a beer or ale;
---------G-----------D7-------G—C-------G---------D7---A
But, when you've tried Dead Dog Cid-er – your search will be cur-tailed!

I look forward to presenting this chorus to Trevor's friends in the Bristol area where I first heard the song in the dark smoky back room of the tavern the folk club gathered at, but I won't be very surprised if the chorus makes it there first.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble