Songs that should have been folk songs

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 03:46 PM

Long Black Veil

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: GUEST,Little Robyn
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 03:45 PM

"Same Old Lang Syne"
Robyn

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 04:56 AM

That last song he plays with A PIANO ACCORDION as well, how fokie can you get.

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 03 Apr 05 - 04:31 AM

Another one I remembered:

Billy Joel's "Southeaster Alexa" - great imagery, similar to "White squall" and other Stan Rogers greats.

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: Celtaddict
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 08:28 PM

Jerry Bryant's "Harbo and Samuelson" is an epic ballad about two young oysterman who rowed (that's right, rowed; no steam or canvas) across the Atlantic in the late 19th century. Full story, true, well told, highly singable chorus.

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: alanabit
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 05:03 AM

Suzanne Vega's "Luka", which describes a situation which I fear may predate the song by several centuries, but which I hope does not survive long into the future.

Subject: RE: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: Sooz
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 04:13 AM

Bob Geldoff's "I Don't Like Mondays"

Subject: Songs that should have been folk songs
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 02 Apr 05 - 03:44 AM

A special interest of mine is identifying songs that are created NOW, in our times, outside the domain of mainstream folk, yet they are "folk" in every other respect: They have a folkie theme (telling a good story, describing a trade or a historical event, focusing on ordinary people in a timeless way), a tune that can be easily learned and sung communally, perhaps a chorus... I know that the criteria are a little vague, so something that strikes me as "folky" might not pass muster for others. But do you have such songs that you could suggest?

Here are some of my "discoveries":

1. Mark Knopfler's "Sailing to Philadelphia" (the story of Paul Mason & Jeremiah Dixon)
2. Mark Knopfler's "Prairie wedding" (mail order brides)
3. Billy Joel's "And so it goes" (dilemma of opening up to love)

Can you add some?