Not only do many traditional songs mean different things to different people, their meaning can change dramatically over a period of time, via oral tradition, print tradition and the tradition of fakery. The academic, the collector, the researcher, the source singer, the revival singer could all have a different opinion on the meanings in a song and it's possible they could all be right.

There's nothing dodgy in presenting an opinion if that's all it is, and we can all have our own opinions on others' opinions.

If you want to see how the implicit meaning in songs can change from version to version have a look at some of Richie's detailed studies here, or even better his enormous.....................website.

Personally I tend to accept only the explicit meaning unless another layer is obvious, or the extra layer(s) is proven. I have to agree with Jim on the likes of Phillips Barry and their flights of fantasy/fancy.