Every Folk Song

An Every Folk Song chronology of some of the major Christmas songs in history. From The Friendly Beasts to Frosty the Sn... Read more

Roud 15 is called "The Cruel Ship's Carpenter," but if you know it, it would probably be as "Pretty Polly." And old Engl... Read more

A little diversion from the normal path down the Roud Folk Index, Matt sets off on a quest to solve a mundane little mys... Read more

Roud 14, "The Daemon Lover." Or "The House Carpenter." It's a song that epitomizes a literary and cultural motif that's ... Read more

Roud 13 is called "The Dowie Dens of Yarrow." It is as much about a small area of Scotland and its history as it is abou... Read more

Roud 12 is called "The Elfin Knight." You would definitely know it better as "Scarborough Fair." It's about a magical ma... Read more

This episode focuses on Roud 11, "The Baffled Knight." It's a moral swamp and I have a few breakdowns about it. The olde... Read more

Roud 10, "Lord Randall" is the last song about murder for a little while, I think. Evolved from an old Italian song firs... Read more

 Roud 9, "The Cruel Mother." A product of the society and moral/political climate it formed in, this 400ish-year-old son... Read more

Roud 8, "the Twa Sisters" or "the Two Sisters" or 30 different other titles. This ballad, first published in 1656, has i... Read more