I think Steve's point should be stressed a bit more: Cecil Sharp may not have published his original bawdy texts, but neither did he destroy them or refuse to take them down in the first place. Indeed, his original notations have been preserved and many have now been printed from them, since things have lightened up a bit in the publishing world. Remember, Sharp was operating under the theory that teaching these traditional songs to children in the schools would encourage them to embrace the rich heritage of their own traditions. He therefore did what he felt was appropriate to further that goal. But he was not the prude who would destroy the real thing out of some misplaced sense of propriety, for which we ought to give him credit and be grateful for his immense contribution.

Sandy