I was careful to say, "The last American (non-bawdy) songs to have been *subject to many changes in oral tradition*...."

Plus, "I can't think of even one 1920s pop song that is now a "folk song. Unless 'folk song' now means "very old song you rarely if ever hear anymore."

By that standard, "Purple People Eater" is a folksong. You can call it that if you want, but it just confuses the issue - as so many other threads have shown.

The English songs mentioned appear to fall into the category of "old, rarely sung songs that hardly change - and that people don't want to change." Undoubtedly some songs written today may be sung a century from now, and very possibly they'll be called "folk songs."

But they'll have almost *nothing* in common with the titles I mentioned. That in itself should show that the distinction is useful and real.