Finding lyrics and tunes to a song can sometimes be really tough. Here's an idea which over time can make this task a little more fruitful. Anyone can help and I'd hope that it is largely self administering.

Many of us have a printed folk song library of some sort, or we at least visit a lending or reference library ocasionally. The libraries I visit in Australia have some amazing books containing lots of songs that aren't in the database, but do not have the contents listed in the catalogue. Hence if I'm looking for Sacramento Sacred Heart Blues I'b be hard pressed to find it.

The University of Kentucky Tennessee at Knoxville has a great on-line catalog which does list all the contents of its music collection, UTK Song Index, but I am not aware of any others with a large on line listing. If you know of others please let us know.

If we start small and simply add the odd contents page to this thread, then in no time we could have quite a significant collection of titles and at the name of at least one anthology of where it might be found. Even if it takes 20 years you have to plant an acorn some time.

I have some simple suggestions to make about format, but I'll leave that discussion to another time. In the mean time the availability of Max's Super Search will ensure that if 'Sacramento ...' is listed in this index thread that someone can easily find it in the future.

Here's a small (incomplete) example:

THE OXFORD BOOK OF SEA SONGS

Edited by Roy Palmer

John Dory * 1
Lustily, lustily * 2
Upon Sir Francis Drake's Return * 3
In Praise of Seafaring Men * 4
Another of Seafarers * 6
A Joyful New Ballad * 7
Sir Francis Drake * 11
The .Sailor's Only Delight * 13
The Winning of Cales * 15
The Famous Sea Fight * 18
The Praise of Sailors * 21
The Honour of Bristol * 24
Sailors for my Money * 27
A Song of the Seamen and Land Soldiers * 29
The Famous Fight at Malaga * 30
The Seaman's Compass * 33
A Net for a Night Raven * 36
The Seamen and Soldiers' Last Farewell * 38
Captain Mansfield's Fight * 41
A Song on the Duke's Late Glorious Success * 42
The Benjamins' Lamentation * 44
Sir Walter Raleigh Sailing in the Lowlands * 47
The Caesar's Victory * 50
The Golden Voyage * 53
The Boatswain's Call * 56
The Sea Martyrs * 58
An Excellent New Song * 62
England's Great Loss by a Storm of Wind * 64

Any feedback would be welcomed.

Regards, John

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If you post a songbook index in this thread or in any other thread, put Index: and the songbook title in the title of the message. The Index: tag is reserved for messages only - please do not use this tag in a thread title.
-Joe Offer-