The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #170200   Message #4115512
Posted By: GUEST,Ian Kirkpatrick
05-Aug-21 - 12:31 PM
Thread Name: connections-Jenny's Gone Away
Subject: Response and Answer Songs
Does anyone know if there is any connection between the traditional North Carolina song "Jenny's Gone Away" seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=790PuJ0OJm4

And the 1960s Roger Whittaker song "Jenny's Gone" seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1rl04Q5uJQ

Even if Whittaker wasn't influenced by the traditional tune, I find it interesting how similar the two songs are. What other songs can you think of that either intentionally respond to older songs or appear thematically close by accident? I'm thinking along the lines of It Wasn't God Who Made Honkytonk Angels by Kitty Wells or Willie Nelson's Can I Sleep in Your Arms Tonight Lady? Anna Kendrick's remake of You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone by the Carter Family is another aspect to this idea of a response song I think. Changing the genre of the song to make the idea appeal to a new audience. Were there any ballads that did this you can think of?