To finish up – for myself – the "German" discussion about the "German" problem with some "German" traditional songs – there a r e German traditional songs I have no problems with. They mostly originate in specific historical situations and tell – for example – about outlaws who helped pressed peasants to survive in hard times. This part of traditional songs belongs to every culture. But in Germany you have to look for it very hard to find it. I have heard some of these songs sung by my older relatives in the Odenwald a long time ago but this tradition is dying. There are some regional folkbands collecting and performing these songs but this practice is fading since its peak in the seventies and eighties. And there are some "classical" traditional songs belonging to the stuff of every folksinger. I'm speaking of songs like "Die Gedanken sind frei". And of songs which came from abroad and were integrated into the national tradition. I mean songs like the unique Robert Burns' "For A' That" which became popular in the German democratic movements of the 19th century by the adaption of Ferdinand Freiligrath "Trotz alledem" and had its last revival in the very early eighties by a version of Hannes Wader. And there are many more examples – for sure. But to understand the difference between German traditional song tradition and the one for example in Ireland/Scotland/England: Ask 1000 people by chance in Germany if they know "Trotz alledem" – and do the same thing in Scotland with "For A' That". The result will explain more than thousand words. In Ireland Eric Bogle's "No Man's Land"/"The Green Fields Of France" had been number one of the (Pop!) charts for some weeks – an anti-war song! In Germany a thing beyond any imagination. And this makes me angry. Young people who got their experience about war from pictures in the TV are singing old nationalist songs (and even "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden"). By doing this they are chasing and killing foreign, coloured people, jews and they do it in the same spirit the Nazis did. And they are so proud for what they think German "culture" is. But they don't know the culture which is worth while to be known. So – enough of "Edi's Lamentation". I only wanted to explain the reasons why I have problems with the traditional song "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden". Peace to you all Edgar