Re: Revamped Traditional Folk music
I'm not sure about this song - I'd have to do a little more research to be sure - but I do know that John borrowed ideas and sometimes bits and pieces from traditional sources. I'm talking off the top of my head here, so, again, a little study would probably be best before I give a definitive answer. But I seem to recall discovering that "Take Her Out Of Pity" was at least partly "lifted" from something in the public domain. Now, John didn't actually claim that song - I think Nick, Bob and John are all listed as writers. And there were many re-workings of songs that the boys put their names on in hopes of garnering royalties. If someone filed a suit against them they usually just settled immediately, but often they got away with the rewrites. Dave Guard put his name on "Scotch And Soda", and to this day no one has ever come forward to dispute his authorship. With regard to "Headin' For The Hills", John was an avid Civil War buff and he studied the music of that era quite a bit. Whether he borrowed the song or not, it is an authentic replication of the music of that time. John really had a flair for setting the scene with his words.
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