I suspect that one reason folk songs were so popular in the 60's -- and aren't now -- is that they work well to crystallize grass-roots political issues. The political climate of the civil-rights/Vietnam era had a need for folksongs that, popularly, we don't seem to feel now. Music and poiltics certainly often went hand in hand 30 years ago. The poiltical climate these days, for whatever sad reason, is much less charged, much more apathetic. I would even go so far to say that the music of today's youth culture reflects that. Bruce, to ask an offshoot of Earl's question, I'd be interested to know if you know of other eras in history that have seen folk music serve a popular political need. Robert the Bruce's Scotland pops into my head, but not because of anything I know about it.