Of course one thing that seems to be forgotten when discussing the tunes of folk songs and ballads is that the tune acts as a vehicle for the telling of a story.

Some scholars have theorized that early literary works (like, for example, the Iliad) were spoken rather than read, and having them in meter and rhyme acted as a mnemonic device—easier to remember a piece if it was in some sort of pattern. The next step was to sort of chant them to fairly repetitive pattern of pitches—another kind of pattern to aid the memory. Bingo! Melody is born. Or so goes the theory.

But still, almost all folk songs either tell a story (ballad) or imply a story, so one could argue that the words are more important than the tune.

That. of course, is something one can argue about until Sunday breakfast. . . .

Don Firth