"Folk Songs of the United States" - Calif. State Dept. Education.

This is not really my favorite, and I was going to post this to What did you Learn thread of a couple of weeks ago. But since this is active....

Yesterday I bought this booklet for 50cents in a thrift store. FSUS was used in California elementary schools during the 1950s into the 60s. The material gives insight into the music education of the period, and is more important when one considers music is almost non-existant in Calif. schools today.

Some songs would probably not be in a current book, if such existed owing to current sensibilities [read PC]. For instance "Jacob's Ladder" because of references to Jesus and the cross, and "De Bluetail Fly" because of the use of Negro dialect would certainly be omitted today.

Songs range from "Skip to My Lou" to "New River Train" (both to 11 verses!) to "Buffalo Gals" and 40 odd more. They are complete with staff and autoharp chords (the school instrument of choice, I suppose). Also, songs are credited as to regional origination and source, some sources dating to the 19teens.

I'd say it was four-bits well spent...now if I only could read music and play (autoharp).--John (not jon)