The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #74827 Message #1317038
Posted By: Malcolm Douglas
04-Nov-04 - 07:35 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: If I Were a Blackbird [not DT]
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: If I were a Blackbird [not DT]
Andy M Stewart's rather self-conscious redaction will be more widely available, I expect, but I have no interest in it; I've never understood why revival performers so often feel the need to tinker with traditional songs in order to alter the gender perspective (and, as a result, the entire meaning of the thing). It suggests to me a lack of understanding of, or respect for, the material. And yes, I know that "traditional" singers have also been known to do exactly the same thing; they were operating within a quite different context.