Jim, if you read what I actually said, you will see very clearly that I was not suggesting that ALL new songs have to follow a prescribed pattern.

With all due respect, it really is you that don't understand, 'Folk' is just a word coined to describe a particular type and style of music in the same way as jazz, pop, rock etc etc!

'Folk' is the word used to describe the STYLE of the music of the indigenous population, as in African folk music, Russian folk music etc, the word itself has nothing to do with the 'process' you are so hung up on.

Once you grasp this very simple concept, accepting that there can be and already are new 'folk' songs will become much easier for you!