Are These Folk Songs?

Introduction

While researching songs for articles that I share in UK & Irish Folk Music 60s-80s I started thinking of songs by non-folk artists that could be considered folk songs. Folk music often documents the zeitgeist, as well as telling stories and including love songs and lost love songs, all of which are seen across all genres of music.

These are ten which I think could be considered folk music despite the artists not being considered folk artists.

I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

If you are not a Vocal member, if you sign up you will be able to leave comments on the article here, but I am fine with you just reading and maybe commenting in UK & Irish Folk Music 60s-80s where you can discover even more musical treasures.

Image borrowed from here

So on with the songs

Jethro Tull - Life's A Long Song

Jethro Tull started as a blues/rock band eventually being classed as progressive artists. I could have chosen several of their songs for this piece but this is a beautiful piece and could definitely be played in any folk club. It does have orchestral backing but the song really does stand on its own. The instrumentation reminds me a little of Nick Drake's "Northern Sky.

Kevin Ayers - "All This Crazy Gift Of Time"

Kevin Ayers was part of the Canterbury scene in the sixties and was part of Soft Machine before setting out on his own with his band The Whole World which included Mike Oldfield. I don't know is more suited to a jazz setting, but I don't think it would be booed off in a folk club.

John Lennon - "Working Class Hero"

Just John Lennon and an acoustic guitar stating the situation of life for most of us. It does contain the odd four-letter word but this is an incredibly powerful song, and fits with so many of the folk songs that I have shared with you.

Paul McCartney - "Calico Skies"

Although this is from the 1997 album "Flaming Pie" this is so beautiful that I had to include this here. This is the acoustic version. What would you think if someone played this in your local folk club?

Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here"

The title track from their 1975 album, sounds perfect with acoustic guitar. Again a great insight into life and with heartbreaking lyrics beautifully stated. I am sure this has been performed thousands of times as part of folk sets.

Paul Weller - "Wild Wood"

Weller has written a lot of introspective songs and this has a pastoral feel and I think could be a wonderful solo piece to play. I was toying between this and the Jam's "That's Entertainment", and then decided on this one.

Half Man Half Biscuit - "Lord Hereford's Knob"

Lots of humour and clever words from Nigel Blackwell, namechecking Places in Yorkshire, The Peak District and Wales. There are so many songs I could have chosen. If you don't check them out, they are educational and funny, not an easy job to pull off.

Rod Stewart - "Gasoline Alley"

Always loved this, one of the reasons being I can actually play it. Rod is one of our best interpretive singers, and this song is so strong that he could do an unaccompanied version which I can hopefully share here.

Peter Gabriel - "Solsbury Hill"

The song about him leaving Genesis, unusually with a 7/4 time signature. Maybe because it is acoustic based I can see this as being a folk song and its very English references help to carry it.

Ian Prowse (Amsterdam) - "Does This Train Stop On Merseyside"

One of the greatest songs about Liverpool by this amazing Facebook friend of mine. I covered this on my YouTube channel and you can find lots of his performances of this including one on Liverpool Metro.

Here is my piece on two of the greatest songs about Liverpool.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed this. Can they be considered folksongs? I don't know, but a lot of these I have played myself on acoustic guitar and maybe that is the reason that I have included them.

Folk songs have a huge breadth and some songs will eventually become ubiquitous, performed everywhere because they are worth it.