Sensationalism! The whole tone of this conversation is donnish in the extreme.

Personally I find the modern manifestations of these songs, and their significance to modern listeners and readers - really more interesting, because you CAN take a guess at what people who are living are experiencing. I don't really have any idea of how these songs were experienced by people in history.

Fascinating also that the potency of the piece lies in the compound of the words and music. The words aren't really poetical, in the way that someone like Ewan MacColl with great awaremness of language.

Much of it is doggerel set to a catchy tune.