What is your favourite folk song?

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

I've just accidentally listened to Dougie McLean singing Green Grow The Rashes (Scots), and realised pretty much all the folk music I know is Irish.

What is your favourite folk song of any nation but sung in a normal voice (no fonny nonny no and I don't want to be picturing morris dancers).

I know that entire album off by heart - I had it in the nineties. I never hear of Eleanor McEvoy these days?

A Polish folk song called Hej Sokoły

I grew up with Scottish folk music playing at home. The Lewis Bridal Song (Mhairi's Wedding) reminds me of school playground games. I also love The Road to the Isles, Wild Mountain Thyme and The Happy Auld Days That's Awa'.

Corries
Bonnie Lass of Fyvie
The Lowlands of Holland
The Braes o' Killiekrankie

Capercaillie anything by them, especially Karen Mathieson, the most beautiful voice I've ever heard

Annie Laurie -loads of versions
Leezie Lindsay Corries. Many other Versions

The great Townes Van Zandt

Loads of good ones a mentioned including Welsh ones - Sosban Fach is a classic taught to kids.
Which reminds me of ones I learned at school:

Last night I had the strangest dream
Morning town ride
The night they drove old Dixie down
Where have all the flowers gone
Little boxes

Fairport Convention
Red and Gold
The Hiring Fair
Fotheringay

Show of Hands
Widdecombe Fair (totally different from the usual version)
The Galway Farmer
The Crow on the Cradle
Santiago

Steeleye Span
Lady Diamond
Isabel
Dark-eyed Sailor
Horn of the Hunter
Lovely on the Water
Sails of Silver
All Things are Quite Silent

June Tabor & Oyster Band
Bonnie Susie Clelland
Finisterre
Lullaby of London
Night Comes In

Deportee (plane wreck at Las Gatos), This land is your land - Woody Guthrie

Leaving on a jet plane, puff the magic dragon - Peter Paul & Mary

where do you go to my lovely - Peter Sarstead

Cruel River - Steve Knightley (from show of hands)

All of Show of Hands songs but particularly - Crazy Boy, You’ll Get By, Haunt You, Santiago, The man I was, cousin Jack, crow on the cradle.

Seaglass - Miranda Sykes

Cold Hailey Rainy Night, Space Girl, Hard times of old England, Tam lyn retold - The Imagined Village

Hey Sandy, Margarita - Harvey Andrews

Lizzie loved a highwayman - Reg Muross

Solomon Browne, kitty jay - Seth Lakeman

Folk Fever album - Band of Love

Levelling the Land album - Levellers
Julie - Levellers

Robb Johnston - Herald of Free Enterprise

Janis Ian - At Seventeen

Black is the colour - Cara Dillon

New York Mining Disaster 1941, Jacob’s Ladder, walking into battle with the Lord - Chumbawama

Senor - Bob Dylan

Last thing on my mind - Tom Paxton

Mirrors, Out of the darkness, on a midnight street - Matthew and the Atlas

Red Earth and Pouring Rain album - Bears Den

Poor Wayfaring Stranger - Eliza Carthy

Will the circle be unbroken - Pentangle

If you could read my mind - Gordon lightfoot

Stand up for Judas - Dick Gaughan.

Possibly not a popular choice but personally I feel it is 'the answer'!

Great thread

Trio (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris & Linda Ronstadt)
Just about anything they recorded together is sublime

She moves through the fair ...all about eve.
Vin garbutt..absent friends

Julie Fowlis
Manràn
Tide Lines
Skippinish
Some of Afro Celt Sound System
Peat Bog Faeries
Shooglenifty

Strong agree with all. Especially Semper Femina, all of it. I'd never been that impressed by Laura Marling but then that album came along and... wow.

Fully agree with the Pogues and the band played Waltzing Matilda. So moving.
check ou t band called Mad Dog Mcree. Their version of Beeswing is brilliant and they do a good Raggle, Taggle gypsy as well.
Nathan Carter singing Calendonia.
Emily Smith has a beautiful haunting voice, love her sing the Silver Tassie.

Some brilliant suggestions here and a few I still need to check out.

My favourites are:
Before the ruin album by Roddy Woomble, John Mccusker and Kris Drever
Anything by Kris Drever, he is absolutely amazing!
Heidi Talbot
Davy Cowan
The Corries-can’t go wrong with them!
Andy Stewart
Gaberlunzie
Jimmy Shand
The obvious ones such as Eddi Reader and Karine Polwart…

I’m sure there are loads more but I can’t think of them off the top of my head!

So many songs I love on these lists. Judy Collins 'Farewell to Tarwathie' , Ewan MacColl 'Sweet Thames flow softly' and 'Black Velvet Band'. My music is old school, cds of the Corries, Tom Paxton, Spinners, Joan Baez, lots of sea shanties, and Laura Marling and Unthanks.
Can anyone recommend which streaming service is best for folk music?
I'm looking to invest in Spotify or Amazon Prime or Apple Music but have no idea which to go for. Any of them particularly good on folk?
Thanks.

I have Amazon Unlimited (and due to this thread I've downloaded about 20 albums in the last 2 days!) I definitely get value for my money and I only listen to folk really.

It has most things on it but not absolutely everything. E.g. some of the older Coope Boyes Simpson isn't there, Wilson Family not available, not great for old bluegrass. Not sure whether other services are any better or if its a general rights issue.

Thanks @DuneFan I will give it a go.

I haven't yet failed to find something on Spotify.

15 years ago I wanted to buy a Fred Wedlock album and I had to send a cheque to Fred Wedlock himself to get one. Now, all his back catalogue is on Spotify.

Thanks @MissScarletInTheBallroom . It seems folk is well catered for. I will experiment I think with offers.

The rocky road to Dublin

This is a really lovely thread. Not one single discussion over whether anything actually counts as folk music 😆

I love the sad kind of folk music but one of my favourites is a lively one, a Finnish one called Ieven Polkka