More thread creep, then I'll knock it off...

The thing with folk songs is they look "obvious" only to those who are looking for the mystery in the wording instead of the tale. Dylan's songs are like a riddle. Often, ballads have a great deal left out, leaving the details to the imagination. Take REYNARDINE for example. (Well, Halloween is coming up!)

Second verse: "...seeking of concealment, all in the judge's name." He claims to be a decent sort, but he's hiding. Why's he hiding?

Third verse, after she asks his name: "'Tis writ in ancient history, they call me Reynardine." OK. His name's written in ancient history, but he's standing there talking to her. Hmmm...

Another version, REYNARDINE 2, says "Her cherry cheeks and ruby lips, they lost their former dye," and later on "Sun and dark she followed him, his teeth so bright did shine, and he led her over the mountains, that sly bold Reynardine."

So you're left wondering about this guy. Who is he? WHAT is he. Is he vampire? Is he a were-fox. "Reynard" seems to be a name for fox. Or maybe it's because in some of the stories, a vampire can become any creature, not just a bat. Now, how did the song get started? Did someone just want to tell a scary story, or was there a real incident someone based the song on? Was there a local legend about "Reynardine," and the song is all that remains?

The point is, there are plenty of folk songs that make you think about what's going on in the story that isn't in the lyrics. You have to pay attention, though. Modern songs can raise the same sort of questions, but when the author is more concerned with how cleverly they can word things, the question becomes "what the blazes did the author mean by THAT?!" There's a reason you don't see too many traditional songs like that, and I suspect it's not because they weren't written.

There's one very obvious thing that I've noticed. When people talk about folk music, they often talk about music. When people talk about pop, they talk about the musicians - the "stars." "Who" becomes more important than "what." Do you ever wonder why that should be?