folk song

noun

1. a song originating among the people of a country or area, passed by oral tradition from one singer or generation to the next, often existing in several versions, and marked generally by simple, modal melody and stanzaic, narrative verse.
2. a song of similar character written by a known composer.

folk song

noun

1. a song of which the music and text have been handed down by oral tradition among the common people
2. a modern song which employs or reflects the folk idiom

Word History and Origins

Origin of folk song¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Dobkin studied painting at Temple University, where she also started performing folk songs, and received a bachelor’s degree in 1962.

From Washington Post

But mostly it was just, How do you play a folk song individually?

From The Daily Beast

Go ahead try it—I promise this is not like asking you to sing along with a lame folk song.

From The Daily Beast

Helm sings a duet with his daughter on the contemporary folk song “Anna Lee,” written by Laurelyn Dossett in 2006.

From The Daily Beast

There is no greater default explanation for the world's violent mysteries than the old "mob did it" folk song.

From The Daily Beast

Folk Song has no conventional plot at all, no characters to speak of.

From The Daily Beast

Here we may observe the connection with the folk-song; and it is a strong evidence of adherence to ancient tradition.

From Project Gutenberg

It is based upon the folk-song and is always in one or the other of the more or less complex song forms.

From Project Gutenberg

They like, or pretend to like, Beethoven better than a peasant folk-song!

From Project Gutenberg

In some respects the folk-song of Devonshire is rather disappointing.

From Project Gutenberg

The origin of folk-song has been much debated, and it need not be gone into now.

From Project Gutenberg