Just fell accross a song book I didn't know I had, called "The Best Loved Songs of the American People." Great book. I'm feeling inclined to work my way through, start to finish, and sing each and every word that's in it. You're all welcome to come by and help out, of course.

There was another one, a songbook I grew up with, that I think I actually did that with -- learned every song in it. (Hey -- I had some time on my hands when I was a kid, O.K.? That, and my mother insisted on always having a piano in the house. She'd rent one wherever we lived, bless her heart.)Wish I could remember what it was called -- I'd love to run accross it again. It was big and green, but I don't suppose that helps much. Does it? Anyone know which one I'm talking about? It had everything, from "The Foggy Foggy Dew" to "On Top of Old Smokey" to anything that was even remotely close to a traditional folk song -- and it was illustrated, even.

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

Sounds like a hundred different songbooks....you should try going to www.mudcat.org....you will find the best songbook ever compiled there...

Yes it does, but anyway Muffy thanks for that post. It got me to look at some old songbooks i'd forgotten about. I found one that's green, illustrated and has "On Top of Old Smoky" in it but not "Foggy Foggy Dew". It's got 100 songs in it. It's called "The Best of Folk Music" Book One. Quite a generic title, huh.