I had begun to think that there were hardly any people left who gave a damn about folk songs. I had found myself singing the same songs over and over with nothing new to add to the list. Didn't really have much input. I searched out a bunch of written sources. But most had either songs which were played to death in the 60's or songs which nobody ever heard of - and with good reason. I stumbled into the Mudcat about a month ago starving and thirsty for a taste of good folk music. After spending a few hours glued to the database and wearing out my "print" button, I was happily exhausted. I had found songs that I had long ago forgotten, songs I had always meant to learn, and songs that I didn't think anyone else had ever heard of. I found long lost lyrics and verses that I didn't know existed. And parodies...don't get me started!

I felt renewed. Reborn. What a place! I collared anyone who would listen and told them about my newly found goldmine! I played new stuff until my fingers were raw.

Then, I found the good stuff. The threads, the comments, the personal observations, the histories! The people! My thanks not only to Max and company but also to all of you who contribute so much to make this a comfortable place to drop in and "set aspell".

I am Allan Clark. I used to do a little singing in the D.C. area, Great Falls, Montana, and Harrisonburg, Virginia. Not a whole lot, but enough to have fun. I live in Charlottesville, Virginia now but have pretty much kept my light under a bushell for quite a while now.Of course, with all the new material I have gleaned from MC, I might get out a little more soon.

Being here at Mudcat is sort of like sitting in my living room with a few other friends. We sing if we're of a mind to. We laugh and joke. Swap stories and lies; and pass on some bits of good information when the ocassion arises. Who could ask for better than this?