…That’s what I wrote it for

Fred Wedlock (Photo by Weydonian)

When your Substitute Scribe asked Mike, who had just sung The Redland Green Bobby [British Bobby], to confirm his view that it was "One of Fred's", little did he realise that the question would develop into one of those half-hour ‘workshop’ discussions for which The Dragon is (in)famous – in this case on the question of Folk Music, Copyright and Attributing Songs to the Correct Writer. The conversation passed, anecdotally and polemically, through such writers as Mr Wedlock, Cyril Tawney, Roger Watson, Canadian guitarist Vera Johnson, Ed Pickford, Michael Starkey and Woody Guthrie, whose copyright notice is referenced in the title above viz. "This song is copyrighted in U.S. for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singing it without my permission, will be a mighty good friend of mine, 'cause that's what I wrote it for."

Around the bonfire

Around the camp-fire, men of Company A,
16th Infantry, San Geronimo, Mexico, May 27th, 1916.

There were only eight of us for the gunpower, treason and plt of the bonfire session this week. We don't even have bottle gas fires in the middle of the room since the refurbishment, so any fire was entirely imaginary. Nevertheless, huddled around our metaphorical campfire, everyone present sang.

There was chat before we started about learning songs, and the preference, certainly among those established on the sing-around scene for people singing without words. Simon suggested, with no dig intended, that Derek probably learnt songs on one hearing in a pub many years ago. Derek initially said that this was an exaggeration but then admitted there was at least one song just like that.