"Well if you mean they were written by one person, "
You should know by now I don't - nobody knows who or how many made the songs
That are largely structured as 'one person' narratives and have remained largely the domain of the solo voice apart from choruses
Group singing is largely experimental
Folk songs ceased to be made in 'the modern world' apart from isolated communities, like the Travellers who still maintained an oral tradition, and they were still solo songs
Even the revival song-makers using the tradition as inspiration, recognised that when they composed their songs
That the songs weer written in 'the third person' (not sure about "the majority" is immaterial - a song-maker usually expressed from community experience in order for his/her songs to be of interest to those around him - they are far from beimng 'impersonal'
The broadsides weer a different kettle of dingbats
Navel-gazing introspection of personal angst is very much a revival thing - expressed rather harshly once by Tom Munnelly who told a modern singer of his own songs "I sometimes want to tap you on the shoulder to ask you fer permission to come in"
Jim