Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?

Subject: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 05:24 PM

You see, it makes me feel joyous, even the saddest of songs, but, yesterday I stumbled into the old BBC Radio 2 Folk & Acoustic messageboard...to the final thread on the day it closed...and it was filled with Grumpy Ol' Gits moaning and droning on and on and on about people who used to be HAPPY about folk music and wanted to share that happiness and joy....

Gawd...on and on they went, their swan song, their last chances to be Grumpy Ol' Gits on the BBC board...

The happiest person was Squeezy, who was having a chuckle, but most of the others.....

Ye Gods and Little Fishes, but there are some Miserable Buggers who profess to love folk music, aren't there...

Heaven forbid I ever turn into one of 'em.....

:0)

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: The Sandman
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 05:58 PM

there are also miserable buggers who dont like folk music, and miserable young buggers who just want to play drug induced music.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Gurney
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 06:00 PM

Well, I've met people who are constantly cheerful, but they sometimes weren't the brightest lights in the harbour. I have wondered if they completely understand what's going on.

I've never met any stupid folkies. Intense ones, thoughtful ones, yes, and argumentative ones, but not stupid.

Perhaps folksong promotes thought. And argument.
;-)

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Jan 17 - 07:01 PM

Well, folk makes me happy, as do many other kinds of music, as for stupid folkies, just go to the bs section. There are a few dunces everywhere, folk and otherwise.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 04:16 AM

Depends where you are Lizzie
When I came into it at the beginning of the sixties it was a life-changing experience - a new subject to be interested in, which eventually filled up most of my waking/non-working hours.
That has deepened rather than gone away.
I watched the clubs disappear and disintegrate, my own singing diminished, but the music was still there and the older generation of singers and musicians continued to give pleasure and pass on their knowledge, both in person and through the recordings.
When we started recording in Ireland it was a fresh blast of adrenaline, but I began to worry that the music wouldn't survive my generation, by the time we moved to the est of Ireland things began to change and hordes of youngsters began to take up traditional instruments.
The future of Irish traditional music has now been guaranteed for at least another two generations and it is in hands and hearts of people more skillful and dedicated than any I have ever witnessed.
I wish I could say the same for back home in the U.K., but I still believe that the situation is reversible.
Folk Music has never made me "miserable" - determines is a much better word.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Senoufou
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 04:34 AM

When I was young, the poignancy of many folk songs used to wring my heart. I remember in the early sixties going very often to a large folk club in Edinburgh. I was seventeen and a student there. I had a thick blue, white and green stripey student scarf, and well remember sobbing into it with emotion. 'Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go?' had me in floods of tears, and some of Robert Burns' songs 'Ae Fond Kiss' for example, I found terribly poignant.
I think it's a tribute to the power of folk songs to touch the heart, not a criticism.
I also remember belting out 'Wild Rover' and other rumbustious songs with unrestrained enthusiasm and feeling as happy as Larry.
I never drank alcohol, they only offered coffee and bread-and-cheese (Imagine that today hee hee!) so it wasn't drink-induced maudlin emotion.
Even today I get choked by 'Bells of Norwich', 'Rolling Home' and 'Felimi's Boat' for example, they seem to touch a chord in my heart and my eyes fill up.
I think it's rather wonderful that music can do that.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 05:41 AM

No it doesn't MAKE anyone miserable. Well unless it's people with guitars hogging a session singing selfpenned miserable songs when I came to join in with some tunes & 'proper' folk songs (tongue in cheek there, a bit)

It can touch a chord. So you might play a sad song when you are already sad. Or want to avoid hearing one.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 05:43 AM

It makes me miserable to think that folkies aren't always lefties.

When I started out playing in folk clubs round here, the routine setup was for each member to get two bashes. My kids and I would do our Carolan tune, then a set of polkas or something like that, done and dusted in five or six minutes. Then some singing strummer would get up and do his two songs, at least one of which seemed to have 37 verses. Time to go to the bar for a pint, go back for a top-up and go for a pee in between. That was pretty miserable!

But getting involved in playing traditional music was a big part of my life. I've never been much of a passive listener to folk music or an aficionado of the slick, popular bands, but I'm very UN-miserable about what it's all done for me.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: JHW
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 06:02 AM

Just last Monday I took a friend to a Folk Club neither of us had been to for some time.
She reckoned it was the worst night in a FC she'd ever been to.
I said she needed to get out more.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 06:44 AM

Maybe it is message boards that make people grumpy rather than folk music? Just look at what we have to put up with here! :-)

Nothing at all miserable in Bellowhead or Blackbeard's Tea Party and many others!

Dave the happy Gnome

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: OldNicKilby
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 08:01 AM

Only when fools murder a tune and bugger about with the words. I remember one young woman who said " I thought that I could do the words better than the Bloke what wrote it " The Bloke was Will Shakespeare

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 08:30 AM

It embraces a whole range of emotions, especially songs or tunes which you may personally associate with certain friends, family members or situations. The same song may be pretty run-of-the-mill or meaningless to others.
But, on the whole, no, it does not make me miserable, but keeps me at something approaching sanity, and happy too!

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Will Fly
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 08:56 AM

Music has been a life changer for me. I was a weedy, 20-year old who got sand kicked in his face and his best girl stolen by big bullies.

Did I go on a Charles Atlas bodybuilding course? Not on your life! I acquired a guitar, grew a foot taller and 3 stone heavier, became the life and soul of the party, was a success in everything I aimed for, and with a bird on each arm. How I laughed at the world as I skipped all the way to the bank.

Mmm... there might be a slight exaggeration there but, there's no doubt about it, music in all its forms became a passion for me at an early age and has remained so right up to the present day. Not just folk music, though - all music from folk to blues to jazz to ragtime to 1920s and 1930s songs to classical to opera to rock'n roll and beyond. The joy of making music - for and with friends - is the greatest fun you can have with your clothes on.

Actually, at my age, it's probably the greatest fun you can have with your clothes off...

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: mkebenn
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 09:44 AM

I, like alot of folks, fell down the rabbit hole at a young age when I noticed that Valenes's " Donna" was beautiful, there were no weapons or murdered lovers, and those songs were beautiful and interesting. If I want misery, and I do from time to time, I count on Country to fill the bill. Mike

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 10:07 AM

Just visit the two...

Whitby folk festival and

Whitby Goth festival

Then tell us who looks happiest

:D tG

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Desi C
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 10:21 AM

I actually love and much prefer miserable very sad songs, death songs are my favourite. I think it's probably because they mak me thankful that m life is comparitively that much happier. Sort of theraputic I guess. Mind you some miserable olk Folkies make me miserable ;)

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 10:47 AM

If I want misery, and I do from time to time, I count on Country to fill the bill

A few years ago there was an academic research study that found the music most often listened to by American suicides just before topping themselves was C&W.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Breedlove Boy
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 01:54 PM

I'm afraid Folk Clubs are in a descending spiral, their day is done. Speaking personally when I've had a few beers I don't particularly want to be serious, so deep and meaning just doesn't cut it.

The problem as I see it is that everyone wants to perform, some just about ok but far too many poor, to say the least. Strum a chord or two and your up there. Trouble is there is little or no entertainment value so what we get are singers, singing to singers, with no real core audience. The music is still there but its going to have to find a different outlet, festivals is obviously one, Open Mic's another, maybe open pub sessions, but the days of a quiet attentive audience are gone.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 02:07 PM

I enjoy late nights with headphones on and a strong mellow drink
wallowing in music that makes me melancholy and tearful...

My favourite chord is probably D min.... 😎

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 02:12 PM

Maybe so. I went to folk music camp last week and had a great time and stayed up to 3 AM every night. Then I got the flu on the last day, and now I'm miserable....


Maybe I'm just getting old. Damn flu shot didn't work.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 02:23 PM

Can resist no longer, from looking at the spelling in the thread title.
Question being:
Make your WHICH miserable?

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Senoufou
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 04:01 PM

I'm sorry Joe that you caught the 'flu. So unfair as you'd had the jab!

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 05:53 PM

Music of all kinds makes me happy and always has, even sad songs. I've never really wanted to do anything with my life except play music, and I've just retired (mostly) from performing after 46 years of it. Traditional folk has been my primary passion for thirty-some years, but it's closely followed by prog rock, blues, and medieval music. All of it is pure joy.

I think someone up-thread had the right idea: some people are just sad, and some of those are in the folk music community. If they didn't listen to traditional folk, they would still be sad people. There are sad people listening to jazz, and sad people playing rock, and sad people who don't pay any attention to music at all.

John P

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 10:41 PM

yes I'm desolate, heartbroken, clinically depressed....my mind is a clenched fist raised in anger at the hopelessness of the human condition.

can't remember the last time i won the raffle either.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 10:59 PM

You're all of those things, Al; but still, we love you....

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 11:29 PM

If the question was "Does Folk Music Make Your Joyful ?"...

I'd answer without hesitation and quite categorically "NO !!!"

.. Nothing much ever does.. apart maybe from the temporary high of acquiring a brand new guitar for much less than retail price...


But I do have vague memories of experiencing excitement and passion 30 or 40 years ago...

..and folk music might have been background mood sounds on the cassette boom box... 🙄

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Mr Red
Date: 06 Jan 17 - 04:06 AM

Does wallowing in the misery and misfortunes of fictional characters make you miserable?
If so that would make half of TV depressing, and the other half frippery. Oh dear that may be true!

Nah! We wallow in blood and guts vicariously as a release from the humdrum and the difficult*, it makes our lives feel safer and happier as a result. Folk is just the TV of yesteryear.


* it got me through the divorce years. And I am still paying back.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Morris-ey
Date: 06 Jan 17 - 11:47 AM

Happy New Year Lizzie...

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jan 17 - 02:22 PM

heaven knows shes miserable now....

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 11:25 AM

Hi, Lizzie. Nice to have you back. I'm like you, I enjoy folk music - except for one kind. That kind is 1970's-type protest music, slow-moving and earnest.

There are so many kinds of folk music - dance music, ballads, love songs, songs about history, for example. They can be fast, slow, major, minor, energetic or languid. How can a person say he doesn't like it all?
===============
If you really like music, join the pathetically few people who clicked on the present thread about music for Birmingham Cathedral.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 05:37 PM

Folk music makes me happy, I sit and play for pleasure a couple of hours a day ,concertina banjo and guitar
one of the best young performers on the concertina in the uk that i have heard is Robert Harbron.
I was also very impressed by the guitar playing of Joseph Jones.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: The Sandman
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 06:40 PM

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Jack Campin - PM
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 10:47 AM

If I want misery, and I do from time to time, I count on Country to fill the bill

A few years ago there was an academic research study that found the music most often listened to by American suicides just before topping themselves was C&W
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us8esS0I4Bk
enough to make anyone miserable

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Yampy Jack
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 07:02 PM

I was discussing this just the other day... or trying to. Folk music deals very directly with the human condition: birth, death, tax fraud, etc., so it has a cathartic effect. I remember June Tabor calling this, 'The purging of emotions through pity and terror'.

In other words, it's like lancing a boil. Folk songs are a bit like free psychotherapy. I'm good to go after a sesh with Child Owlet.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 07:03 PM

"I've enjoyed my folk all the more since two crusty old buggers upped sticks and fled to Ireland.
"Happy New Year Muskett"
Don't be a bad loser isn't a bad New Year Resolution.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 07:50 PM

Tax fraud? Hmmmm. I could use a good tax fraud folk song. Yampy Jack, what would you suggest?

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 08:28 PM

Bugger the bankers for a start: probably still on YouTube!

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 11:05 PM

"The music most often listened to by American suicides just before topping themselves was C&W"

How did they determine that? What with the victims being dead, and all.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 01:02 AM

The people who make up statistics, made up those statistics, leeneia - so they must be true...

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 06:21 AM

Joe, but is there any evidence that they are not true?

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Mr Happy
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 06:45 AM

'Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable? '

'Your' ?

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 08:01 AM

Yebbut have you got any figures for the numbers of people who make up statistics?

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: leeneia
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 12:21 PM

Yes, Mr. Happy, it's a simple typo, one we've all made at some time or other.

Re: suicides. When presented with a statement of fact, it's often good to ask, "How do they know that?"

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,pauperback
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 01:23 PM

BBC

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Amos
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 09:34 PM

©1984 Andrew Calhoun, recorded on Phoenix Envy
Nobody comes to the coffeehouse
Nobody comes to the coffeehouse
Nobody comes to the coffeehouse
Folksingers are boring

First they start some silly song
Try to make you sing along
Always drag it out too long
Folksingers are boring

First they sing a song about a train
Then they sing a song about a train
Then they sing a song about a train
Folksingers are boring

Folksingers have flabby buns
They all play the same bass runs
They're against the private ownership of handguns
Folksingers are boring

Folksinger are born to lose
They wear old and ratty shoes
Then they try to sing the blues
Then they're really boring

Give us salsa, give us soul
Give us good old rock and roll
Pass the bong and pass the bowl
Folksingers are boring

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: GUEST,Nick Dow
Date: 08 Jan 17 - 10:40 PM

Interesting banter between yours truly and the Landlord of a pub hosting a song session. Said Landlord is 5ft high and a total gobshite and utterly miserable when Folk Musicians land in his pub.

Nick......A pint of water please.

Poison Dwarf......I'm not letting you sit in here drinking water.

Nick........ OK fair enough I'll put some money in the charity box, if you had let me finish I was going to say that.

Poison Dwarf........That doesn't put money in my till!

Nick.....Not a problem I'll pay for the water, how much?

Poison Dwarf....You can buy the water in bottles

Nick.......I prefer tap water

Poison Dwarf....You can buy the water in bottles I said.

Nick ...OK

Thinking that this charming episode is at a finish yours truly pays for a bottle of water.
The Poison Dwarf approaches me and continues this revealing conversation.

Poison Dwarf..... YOU (points as if he is indicating a child molester) YOU do concerts don't you?

Nick.... Yes

Poison Dwarf... Do you do them for nothing? (Puts a triumphant leer on a mishapen mouth)

Nick ..... (Making a concerted effort not to knock the little squirt into the middle of the following week) Yes I do as it happens.

Poison Dwarf   (Taken aback somewhat) Er Yes...er..Well we do a lot for charity as well.

Nick...F***ing sounds like it.

End of Conversation.........I haven't been back, can't think why!

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Mr Red
Date: 09 Jan 17 - 05:00 AM

Tax fraud? Hmmmm. I could use a good tax fraud folk song. Yampy Jack, what would you suggest?

Well in the UK we could sing "Amazon Grace"




I'll get my coat (bought it online from ...................)

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Johnny J
Date: 09 Jan 17 - 05:37 AM

http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=160279There is, of course, a place for sad songs and those with challenging lyrics. Life can be a very serious business after all.

What actually upsets me more are the so called "humorous" songs composed by "comic singers" with chips on their shoulders. These are usually divisive and often offensive to many.

Subject: RE: Does Folk Music Make Your Miserable?
From: Johnny J
Date: 09 Jan 17 - 06:07 AM

Here's an example. Some may suggest it's harmless fun just because the targeted people are too nice to complain.

thread.cfm?threadid=160279 

It's only because life is too short to fall out over such puerile nonsense.