I never said it was my song. It isn't. Someone earlier in the thread pointed out the identity of the band that released it.

I never said it was a particularly good song, or indeed a bad one. It chorus, and on the live version I have on CD, the audience joins in with some gusto.

I never said it was a folk song. I just wondered how the fundamentalists would justify it not being one.

I don't think it's a folk song - but it is something with some similarities to a folk song, at least lyrically, if not stylistically.

I do think it has more authenticity or relevance (whatever that is) than an East Midlands office worker singing about sailing round Cape Horn. (Speaking as an East Midlands office worker.) I have met and socialised with many bored factory workers; I have only ever met one person who has sailed around Cape Horn, and he was a "folkie".

It is interesting that the reasons given for it not being a folk song include:

"It's too obvious". There are some very "obvious" folk lyrics; some are dreadful. "She wore a bonnet, with ribbons on it."

It is fascinating that someone should "correct" the lyrics of the folk song I quoted - I learned it by ear from hearing it performed over many years, but it appears I should have checked the correct words in a book. How traditional an approach is that?

It doesn't tell a story. That excludes a hell of a lot of songs I thought were folk: most shanties, for a start.

The truth is, "folk" as we know it is of little direct relevance to most of the "folk" who make up mainstream society, and I find it amusing that so many people who claim some allegiance to "folk" like to distance themselves from the sort of music that is generated by modern society.

The song is by Anti Nowhere League, a punk band that has been touring for 30 odd years now. One of their distinctive attributes is that you can hear the words (fairly) clearly on (nearly) all of their tracks.   The words matter to them and they sell mainly to people who feel that they can relate to the subject material of the lyrics.

Anyway, I'm sorry that an attempt to stimulate an interesting conversation by approaching an old chestnut from a different angle did little but provoke irritation and reinforce some existing prejudices.

I'll get back to dancing, playing, writing the odd tune and the occasional song, enjoying the music on its merits, and leave you to it.