At my Uncle Jack's house in Brooklyn about 1952 I roomed with my first cousin and classmate, Francis, who was the class clown at that time and has since become a real estate moghul and a confidant of U.S. Senators, etc. [Thank God he still can't sing or I'd never be able to sleep at night!] It was in that room I first saw the words "folk song." They were written on the label of a candy apple red 78rpm recording of "Billy Boy." Although we had folk songs all around us, I don't think anyone in the house knew what a folk song was. My mother still doesn't! Years later, I came across an outstanding version of "Billy Boy" (Lord Randal) from Co. Kerry where Uncle Jack and my mother were born:

"Where have you been all the day, my boy Tommy O?
Where have you been all the day, my bonnie blue-eyed Tom?"
"I've been rolling in the hay with a lassie young and gay
Wasn't she the fine one's lately left her mammy O?"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"What age is this young thing, my boy Tommy O?
What age is this young thing, my bonnie blue-eyed Tom?"
"Twice two, twice four, twice seven and eleven more
Wasn't she the fine one's lately left her mammy O?"

Mostly church music (Gregorian chant to hymns) in choirs good, great and awful at various schools as we moved around. In the early 1960s at boarding school in Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire, during the day we sang some Child Ballads, other folk songs and "The Vicar of Bray." At night we had Buddy Holly and the Crickets, vintage Elvis ("Blue Moon of Kentucky"), the Everlys ("Hey, Doll Baby") and Joe Brown and the Bruvvers ("Henry the VIII").