In the past, I have carefully avoided these discussions, as I don't really enjoy dancing on the head of a pin, but let me say this, quite simply.
Songs are created by individuals, that's true; folk songs, however, are created by a process that involves oral transmission and modification. Why is that so difficult to accept? The first time its unknown creator sang "Barbara Allen," it was a song. Good, bad, or indifferent, it was simply a song. After it had been processed, it became a folk song. Now I'm outta here, ducking and dodging the myriad missiles. But get ready, everybody; there might be a pop quiz at the end of the thread.
Grandpa Sandy
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