Big Mick : I cant do clickies and so I cant show you music scores, lists of words, or play you audio clips.'   I was not suggesting, as I am sure nobody else is, that there is or was an old traditional English folksong that goes
"There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun". Of course there isnt, that version is as American as St James Infirmary, and the New orleans funeral march "Didnt he ramble". All I was aying was elemts of the roots of these songs(melodically, lyrically and functionally) can be found in English folksong(and of course in irish folksong also). No doubt other elements in the song can be found in African, French etc etc folk-music....the eastern seaboard of the USA was a fantastic melting pot for music. I can spot the British Isles roots, that's what I know about. others can spot the others,
   Of course this song is American. So was George Washington. But he came from an English family.,