"Gene, I don't think from your last comments that you've looked deeply into the tradition."

Well, Nerd, you must have managed to get to know me better than I know myself, and all from the other side of a computer screen. How comforting it must be to be omniscient.

For your part, maybe you know the tradition inside out, maybe not- I don't know you from Adam and I wouldn't presume to judge. However many songs you know, though, it's self-evident that you don't know how to LISTEN to music, because you're completely wrong about "Blood Red Roses". It's probably three or four years since I've actually heard anybody sing the song, yet as I read the lines you quoted every single note of the vocal melody came back to me. I don't think this is because I have an exceptional musical memory, I think it's evidence of a very strong tune.

(also, I didn't say lyrics couldn't be obscure. I said they couldn't be WILFULLY obscure- a subtle but very important distinction. Usually in traditional songs obscure lyrics are that way for reasons specific to the purpose of the song, "Nottamun Town" being one particularly obvious example).