Folk-Songs of the South: Collected Under the Auspices of the West Virginia Folk-Lore Society

"Folk-music is the product of a people, portraying the thoughts, feelings, and tastes that are communal rather than personal. It is always in the process of solution, its creation is never complete, and, owing to the manner in which it is perpetuated, it is liable to all sorts of modifications in the course of time and the process of transmission from one locality to another." -Lydia I. Hinkel, editor of the folk tunes section of the bookOriginally published in 1925, this historical, musical look at the Southern community includes 185 songs in 398 variants, along with 29 tunes for 26 different songs. They range from one end of the spectrum to the other, and include "The Rebel Soldier," "The Yellow Rose of Texas," and "The Sheffield Apprentice."Regardless of style or subject, the songs offer a valuable insight into everyday life in the Old South. In gratitude, a song of thanks should be sung to the author.