I love this question. Kinda like picking the fly s**t out of the pepper.

I am one of those old timers who has played on the opry and was fortunate enough to play with the Carter family, Hank Williams Sr., Flatt and Scruggs and even did a little session work back in the early 50's with Sam Phillips in Memphis.

My opinion is just that...an opinion. My Grandmother was Irish and taught me the lyrics and melodies to tons of old Irish Jigs and Ballads. My family grew up playing on the front porch and the songs we played and sung were those folk songs (YES, FOLK SONGS). They were mostly lyrically based and were handed down from generation to generation.

When I moved on to play the beer joints and VFW halls, the music was primarily instrumental with a few lyrics thrown in to function as breaks from the square dances. The songs related to the social conditions of the singer...love, divorce, whiskey, family. Mostly original music or music heard on the old Victrola.

So, I would say that Folk music is that music handed down from generation to generation and features lyrics while country music is original music passed on thru media.

Just my old humble opinion.