Episode #3.8 - Beat the Drum Slowly

The Anglo-Irish ballad "The Unfortunate Lad," the cowboy classic "Streets of Laredo," and the blues song "St. James of Infirmary" are often considered different versions of the same song. But it's possible that this categorization was influenced by careless and dubious scholarship. In addition to examining the relationship between these different songs, this episode of Folk Files looks at how these ballads (#2 in the Roud Folk Song Index) functioned as PSAs that educated listeners about public health concerns. (Content note: this episode discusses STIs).

For a list of all musical excerpts used in this episode, click here: https://folkfilespodcast.com/episodes/season-3/episode-3-8/

Host: Olivia Harding

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Assistant Producer: Aaron J. Morton

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