"My view would be to drop it and upset the piper (he who pays)".

People who are offended by old songs don't generally pay anything much.

To be fair I think my original question has been well explored in the thoughtful way that these threads do.

Self cencorship in a climate of intollerance is worst than cencorship from powers that be. But that's not the issue.

I sing the song The Beggar - Dave Burland et al. It contains the line:

Neither Jew nor Turk will make me work whilst begging is as good as it is.

I feel it inappropriate to explain the historical significance and then distance myself. I simply sing

Their's no one who will make me work.......

I bit of history is lost but my country, my community, my folk club and my circle of friends include 'Jews and Turks'.

A very large number of women have been victims of male violence and I don't think we should sing songs without considering the historical context of that experience as well as that of the songs.