So, are you guys telling me, that no one actually puts their finger IN their ear, but they actually cup their hands BEHIND or AROUND their ear, and that all these finger-in-ear comments are merely jokes? Or honest misunderstandings? Or deliberate misrepresentations meant to ridicule folksingers?

Anyway, in those photos of Ewan McColl, he definitely doesn't literally have is finger IN his ear, but he doesn't exactly appear to have his hand cupped either. So what the heck IS he doing?