To support Dick's claim that people believe some song's are traditional, I would point to a story recounted in "Picking Sootie Blackberries" (the songs of Keith Marsden). The person who the story is told about was a respected folk singer in these parts and in Padstow over the May Day festivities. He had big arguements with his son-in-law about Bring us a Barrel, refusing to believe it was not trad until he was actually introduced to the writer.

Some years later, having sung the chorus many times in morris circles and not knowing the origins, I had also made the same assumption until I came to find the words to add it to my repetoire. That makes at least two of us.

Another song to be added to that category would be Dave Webber's May Song. It is a true story that is told there as well about the Padstow local who made comment about him singing it in the Ring O Bells at St Izzy because he wasn't a local. I am sure the list of such songs and stories about them could fill up many threads on their own, so I will just cite those true stories for now.

I would also like to comment on Vincent Black Lightening. It tells a story, from the viewpoint of someone who is outside of the normal boundaries of society, but from a sympathetic point of view. There is a tragic end and perhaps some sort of moral. All seem to me to be elements one would find in folk songs and to my mind more of such elements than I would expect in a pop song.

Just my two penneth.

Gozz