Stories, eh? I must admit, I'm more of an image man myself. To me the stories in Traditional Songs & Ballads are incidental to the imagery & the melody, which carry the reek & stench of the thing. Like The Collier's Rant - it's not much of a story (if any) but - My God - the imagery! In this house, Folk is all about the image.

I'm not interested at all in newly written songs; I don't like messages or metaphors or agendas, political or otherwise, though I allow for some oldly written songs, like McGinty's Meal an' Ale which is nigh on impenetrable as a narrative, but the reek of the thing is braw.