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

“Arirang” is the title of an ancient Korean folk song that is believed to be at least 600 years old and is still sung to this day.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

The album's title, Arirang, is also the name of Korea's most beloved folk song, a sentimental anthem about moving from hardship towards something better.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

It might be time to write a folk song about the demise of City Section basketball using the music of Peter, Paul and Mary and the new title, “Where Have All the Players Gone?”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2026

This is an example of Aeolian mode in the American folk song “Aeolian Lullaby.”

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin