How the words change

Subject: RE: How the words change
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 05:33 PM

"If you are singing someone else's song you owe it to the writer not to mess around with the lyrics without their permission"...horse puckies!
If I've bought a CD or book I've paid the author already; If I've just heardthe song and feel that it would suit me better to fiddle a bit with the words, that's my right.

Subject: RE: How the words change
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Dec 06 - 06:52 PM

One of the things appreciate most in folk music is the way that traditional tunes and somghs will exist in any number of variants, so that a familiar song can suddenly be heard again as a new song.

I think that is a privilege which should not be limited to old songs and anonymous songs.