Hi, Joe -
I was wondering if you got the topical songs through relationships with particular songwriters, or if there was a particular member of the Trio who selected songs. Looking through the songwriters on my Mitchell Trio CD's, I see a lot of songs by Tom Paxton and a couple good ones by somebody named Michael Brown (Lizzie Borden and John Birch Society). Also at least a couple from Norman Martin (I Was Not a Nazi Polka).
So, I guess I don't see a "thread" - you got your topical songs from a whole stable of songwriters. I've always appreciated that those songs had such a nice, spicy "bite" to them. I think a good dose of irreverence is a healthy thing for a member of the clergy, so your singinging background was good preparation for ministry. As a Catholic seminarian in the 1960's, I learned some of my irreverence from Chad Mitchell songs. We sang lots of them.
All the best to you.
-Joe Offer-