Very interesting discussions here.

Folk music, as played over the years in UK folk clubs has been a broad church to say the least. However, one common theme is that of songs, both traditional and contemporary bemoaning the situation you find yourself in.


The hardship of your occupation, the haves versus the have nots, the environment, lamenting change, political satire. You name it, it's somewhere in a folk song. Many songs are there to engender change. Woody Guthrie had a note to himself carved into the top of the belly of his guitar where he could read it whilst playing "This machine kills fascists." I travelled Ireland for many years and some of the songs I thought as a lad in the UK clubs were quite benign were rather powerful political tools really.

It isn't surprising that an aspect of UK folk music ie., heritage, is being hijacked by people who cannot get their message across by legitimate argument. I cannot remember complaining when Red Wedge tours to get rid of the tories were all the rage, and as an ex miner, I recall sharing a stage with Dennis Skinner and Tony Benn singing "Daddy what did you do in the strike" during the strike, and only a few weeks after McColl released the words. the cheers and ovation of 1,000+ that night made me realise what a powerful political tool folk music can be.

Their hijacking is wrong and revisionist but not altogether surprising.