Just scanned through some of the early posts here.

I suppose many are comparing a complete song with music that forms part of a narrative in a larger experience.

It was MacColl’s lyrics in theatre workshop productions such as Landscape with Chimneys (1949) that made him of interest to Charles Parker when he wanted songs to carry on the narrative in interviews, capturing the themes. Hence the BBC Radio Ballads.

How do you tell a long term folkie from a Johnny Come Lately getting words off the Internet?

The Oirish lyrics that come up in Internet searches mix the middle verses around as per Pogues.