Dachshunds don't get erections...they're like horses, they get extensions.

The reason that Emmy Lou Harris can be classified as a folksinger is because of the particular lyrical quality of a great many of the songs she does...which totally transcends the average country genre, in my opinion, and the musical quality as well.

Hank Williams also rates as a seminal early folksinger, and was in fact CALLED a "folksinger" at the time in many publications. His reach was so broad that again, it surpassed merely a "country" designation.

Same goes for Willie Nelson.

Folk music is a genre in which the lyrics tend to be far more serious, far more poetic, and far more imaginative than the standard formulas usually heard in most country music or most rock n' roll or rock music ( I said MOST...okay?). It's also a genre where the audience tends to listen closely to the words...and you can't say that about most musical genres, can you?

Basically, if you take almost any musical style and wed it to truly good lyrics you may very well have as a result...folk music. That's why I love it.

Gershwin's "Summertime" is a good example of a very well written song that is much favoured by folksingers, and at this point IS a folksong, as far as I'm concerned.

- LH