If someone has done a particularly distinctive version of a song, does that mean that no one is allowed to approach it in their own way, and do a different interpretation? Seems stifling. I remember many, many years ago, someone described a young man getting up at a Ceilidh and singing the Oxen Song... whatever it's called... "I crack my whip and I bring the blood." This song is traditionally done with arms akimbo, preferably wearing a cable knit sweater.This kid didn't know akimbo from beans, and he was a farm kid. He did the song real slow and plodding. And irritated the Hell out of everyone. When he finished the song, everybody jumped all over him for doing it so slow. He answered, quite reasonably, "oxen are slow." :-)

If I had the chops to do it, I always wanted to do Orange Blossom Special as a waltz. Say Eeehah! to that, wise guy!

One of the songs I would never touch was Duncan and Brady that Dave Van Ronk sang. He felt that he had defined the song, and I agree. But even then, if I was fooling around and a different approach worked for me and I thought it gave some freshness to the song, I'd do it.

Jerry