Rewriting folksongs?

[32-20-Blues]

Does anyone here rewrite 'traditional' or anonymous material, or even use a couple of lines from it, as part of their songwriting?

What about using lines from established poetry?

With regard to folksong, Paul Simon took both the melody and the sentiment of the English traditional 'Scarborough Fair' and tweaked them slightly. Dylan also has used countless folksongs with rewritten words: 'Bob Dylan's Dream' is 'Lord Franklin's Dream' and 'Hard Rain's Gonna Fall' is 'Lord Randall' or 'Henry my Son.'

With regard to poetry (or drama), I know Tom Waits has taken from Sophocles and Shakespeare, and Dylan borrowed from Browning in 'Blind Willie McTell'

Just wondering what everyone thinks of this method of writing.

 

[Freddy]

In the "Lyrics you wish you had written" thread, you gave 2 good examples of people who have adapted folk songs and created something new - Tom Traubert's Blues (Waltzin' Matilda) and Raglan Road.

I say grab the inspiration where you can, and if you can create something worthwhile and original then good luck to you!

A folk-song can be imprinted on our consciousness, and provide a useful short-cut to the feelings it evokes. The trick is to do something interesting with it

The Irish tradition seems to be particularly fertile. Whiskey in the Jar? (There are even suggestions that it inspired The Beggar's Opera).

 

[cannabis]

i found this poem

in the "oxford book of death"

The Unquiet Grave

The wind doth blow today, my love,
And a few small drops of rain.
I never had but one true love,
In cold grave she was lain.

I'll do as much for my true love,
As any young man may,
I'll sit and mourn all at her grave,
For a twelve month and a day.

The twelthmonth and a day being up,
The dead began to speak,
"Oh who sits weeping on my grave
And will not let me sleep?"

"Tis I, my love, sits on your grave,
And will not let you sleep,
For i crave one kiss of your clay cold lips,
And thats all i seek."

"You crave one kiss of my clay cold lips,
But my breath smells earthly strong,
And if you have one kiss of my cold clay lips,
Your time will not be long.

Tis down in yon garden green,
Love,where we used to walk,
The finest flower that ere was seen
Is withered to a stalk.

The stalk is withered dry my love,
So will our hearts decay,
So make yourself content my love,
Till god calls you away"

i thought it would make a good song

so i wrote the music for it

and changed a word ("god" to "death")



after that, i found it was already a song

and recorded by several artists

including joan baez



nonetheless, i like my version better



(and from then on, i've stuck with

my own original lyrics and music)

 

[32-20-Blues]

The Irish tradition seems to be particularly fertile. Whiskey in the Jar? (There are even suggestions that it inspired The Beggar's Opera).

Really? I didn't know that.

Yeah, I think I am drawn to songs that have some 'history'. Maybe using folksong is a way of giving your work instant history.