The whole point of this angst-ridden discussion is to discern whether or not songs containing certain words or sentiments can be used to promote racism.

No, I think this thread is about whether traditional songs with racist meanings should be sung at all, especially by performers who are not African American (or other dark races represented in the songs, depending on where the colonizers are from). If a song has been appropriated by the race that was the subject of the song, they have a particular platform from which to sing (and certainly alter the meaning). This is what Derrida said was "writing back to the center," the colonized speaking back to the empire. What Spivak means when she asks "can the subaltern speak?"

A song exists only when it's sung. A song in itself, written on a sheet of paper or existing only in the head of a folk singer, can't be racist until the middle man (or woman) makes it racist.

In our post-modern world the theory of the meaning of a word depends upon the reader and or listener. If you write or sing "tree" you may be thinking of the stately oaks near your home (or whatever trees you imprinted on as you grew up). I instead see a tall huge Douglas fir, based upon my world view and experience of trees.

But when you start singing, especially a familiar tune, there is an entire package of information that comes through to the listener, and it is clear long before you get to that troublesome word. Depending on the song, sometimes the first few notes are all that are needed for the entire song's meaning to wash over you if you know it well. Think of how radio works - you hear a distinctive cow bell or guitar or drum riff and you know exactly what song is starting to play. Individual performers may not have such a distinctive beginnings to the folk songs they sing, but the same effect happens, just a little slower than when a standard recording is played, as a knowing audience recognizes the tune and the opening words.

I didn't come back to flog this topic, and I'm sorry to keep picking Steve's words to illustrate my points. He at least gives me a point to pull in some graduate school literary theory that is useful to help position the singer, the song, the words, and the listener.