Songs that outlived their singers
The stories behind the old songs, the instruments that carried them, and the people who kept them alive, told with care and checked against the record.
Traditional folk songs
All songs →Each song page covers the song's origin, key recordings, what it's about, and simple chords. We print full lyrics only when they are clearly traditional and in the public domain.
Shenandoah
Traditional lyrics, meaning, history from Missouri boatmen to sailors, and chords in D.
American · blues balladThe House of the Rising Sun
From a 1925 magazine text to The Animals' 1964 number one, plus the Am progression.
AppalachianMan of Constant Sorrow
Dick Burnett's 1913 "Farewell Song", the Stanley Brothers and O Brother. Chords in G.
American spiritualWayfaring Stranger
Traditional lyrics from 1858, its roots, and recordings from Burl Ives to Johnny Cash.
BritishThe Water Is Wide
From "Waly, Waly" (1724) to Cecil Sharp's 1906 version. Lyrics and chords in D.
Child ballad 84Barbara Allen
The most widely collected song in English, first mentioned by Pepys in 1666.
North AmericanRed River Valley
Canada or Nebraska? The origin debate, the 1887 lyrics and chords in G.
WaltzDown in the Valley
Darby and Tarlton's 1927 "Birmingham Jail" and a two-chord waltz for beginners.
Fiddle tuneOld Joe Clark
The jam-session favourite in A Mixolydian, named after a real Kentucky man.
English balladScarborough Fair
From "The Elfin Knight" (c.1670) to Martin Carthy and Simon & Garfunkel. Chords in Am.
IrishWhiskey in the Jar
The highwayman ballad sung by the Dubliners, Thin Lizzy and Metallica. Chords in G.
Irish airDanny Boy
Weatherly's 1913 words set to the Londonderry Air, and what the song means. Chords in C.
Fiddle tuneSoldier's Joy
A reel played since the 1760s, Robert Burns and the dark Civil War meaning of its name.
Old-timeCripple Creek
The first tune most banjo players learn: Cecil Sharp, the 1924 recordings and chords in A.
IrishMolly Malone
Dublin's unofficial anthem: who wrote it, the legend, the statue and chords in C.
Cajun waltzJolie Blonde
The Cajun national anthem, from the Breaux Brothers in 1929 to Harry Choates' 1946 hit.
TraditionalThe Wild Rover
An English broadside turned temperance song turned pub anthem. Chords in G.
Folk instruments
All instruments →The mouth bow
One string, your mouth as the soundbox: how the musical bow works, where it comes from and how to play it.
GuideThe jaw harp
A 4,000-year-old pocket instrument played with your mouth as the soundbox.
GuideThe banjo
Five-string, open-back or resonator, clawhammer or bluegrass: how to choose and start.
GuideThe fiddle
Same instrument as the violin, played a different way. Styles, buying and first tunes.
Folk danceContra dance for beginners
Lines, callers, fiddles: what to expect at your first dance.
Folk radio
All stations →Listen live to folk, bluegrass and Celtic stations, right here on the site.
Folk Alley
Round-the-clock folk music, plus Irish and new-music channels.
24/7 bluegrassBluegrass Country
Bluegrass day and night from Washington, DC.
Boston 91.9 FMWUMB
Folk-centred public radio and the Celtic Journey stream.
Genres and artists
All genres →Bluegrass, old-time, Celtic, blues and more: what makes each tradition sound the way it does, and who to listen to first.
The Red Clay Ramblers
North Carolina string band, Sam Shepard scores and Broadway's Fool Moon.
CajunThe Red Stick Ramblers
Louisiana fiddle band mixing Cajun French songs and Western swing, 1999–2013.
CelticSolas
New York's Irish traditional "supergroup", formed 1996 and back since 2024.
SongwriterKevin Johansen
Alaska-born, Buenos Aires-based, singing folk, cumbia and rock in two languages.
About efolkMusic
The name efolkMusic has been part of the folk music web since 2000. The site you are reading is a new project, started in 2026, built to be a free, accurate guide to traditional music. Read more about us.