folk song

American  

noun

folk songs plural

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.

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folk song British  

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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• folk songs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of folk song

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

The traditional folk song “Billy Boy” was first transformed into modern jazz by Ahmad Jamal in 1952, and that arrangement was also played by Red Garland.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

While some members gravitate toward the album’s first track, “Body to Body,” which includes snippets of the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang” in it,” the more romantic “Swim” is pushed forward.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

The title takes its name from a folk song about longing and separation that is often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

It was a striking prelude to "Body to Body", the album's first full track, interwoven with Korea's most iconic folk song and the album's namesake, Arirang.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

The song “A Ram Sam Sam,” for example, is a traditional Moroccan folk song that contains many simple repeating patterns.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin