Naw Jody.

If that's as long as you can go, there's a dozen or more people here that can surpass you, but keep trying! :-)

I have to admit that I'm not exactly sure what you're drivin' at, or what's your actual question.

Are you asing what is the folk music tradition?

or - what is the meaning of tradition in folk music?


I think few of us around hear would think that music of any sort should be chisled in stone and never changed. Most of us are performers in one way or another and I doubt that any try to completely recreate the way they first heard a song. So in folk music, tradition may actually be defined by change, as I think you assert (it's late here and I'm listening to some nice quiet Jimmy Buffett, so I am not thinking clearly - but I am beginning to sober up).

As for people improving on songs - that has to occasionally happen - but the opposite is even more likely true. For my part, since I tend to perform trad. Irish/ Scot, etc. songs to people who know little of the culture, slang, etc. sometimes I explain what I'm singing and occasionally I edit the song to be more readilly understandable. Does it improve the song? Probably not, but it allows my audience to enjoy it more. And that's kind of what performance is all about.

By the way - where exactly is "He don't know his ass from third base" in common usage? I'm not questioning that it's true, it's just that I've never even heard the phrase before and I'm quite the baseball fan. But I'm in Orlando, not in NYC or other places. I may start using it though. Life is too short to not use every baseball cliche you've ever heard.


By the way - I'm also one of the miscreants around here who can go on for a long time.

ta