This thread addresses songs supposedly good once but overdone. I'd like to address APPALLING songs, appalling when they were written (and they were all WRITTEN, this century: all of the traditional stuff we know has already been winnowed) and appalling now. First, all of Stan Rogers' oevre. All of it is sentimental or violent (or perhaps I should say, sentimental and violent, because the two characteristics travel together). Then, all of Ralph McTell's oevre (or at least that portion of it I've been unfortunate enough to hear) for the same reason. And for a treat that most appalling and banal song about "lonely prison walls", and "lonely harbour something something", and suggesting witlessly that we "raise our child with dignity" (with the em-PHAS-is on the wrong Sy-LAB-ble). My 2c.