How-to: Writing a folk song

In this article, I’ll share the folk song I wrote and some tips from what I found along the way

So, I’ve got the poetry-writing thing down, and with a little dabbling in horror, I’ve got the tragedy thing down. So I wanted to write a folk song — one of those tragic, ‘Tiny Sparrow’ types. I’ll start by sharing some tips based on my experiment, then share it. If you want to write a melody for it, be my guest. I eagerly await your article on that experiment!

Some tips I gathered along the way:

• Decide on a metrical scheme. If you’re not sure, pick a folk song that inspires you and write it to that melody. After all, it’s lyrical; most melodies can either be borrowed or they share a meter with another one. Pick your form.
• Write the concept first. What’s the whole story? What’s the emotional state? What happened? Focus your effort first so you don’t get sidetracked.
• Once you have that, it’s time to obscure and obscure again. Take one of my favorites, “ain’t no ash will burn,” as an example. The emotional state is “I’m forlorn that my relationship is dead.” Obscured, it’s “you can’t revive dead love.” Obscured again, “ain’t no ash will burn.”
• Admonish the listener/reader. Warn them. I didn’t hit this mark so well; almost all folk songs need that bardic message to hit home.
• Use some antiquated language. Instead of “you’ll regret doing that,” say “You’ll rue the day you ____ed.” This gives it both an authoritative, troubadour appeal as well as the connection to a folk tradition.
• Don’t spin your wheels. Make a decision; if you can’t, stare. I found myself saying the same point over and over. At some point, I’m dragging my reader/listener through a thought process, when they really came to hear what happens at the END of that process. If you’re not sure how to make your point and stick with it, stare. Obscure.
• Use your ears. If you like the way something works rhythmically, save that chunk. Put it somewhere. If it’s weird to read aloud, it’s an error that needs fixing.
• For tragic songs, don’t neglect contrast. This goes for horror in general. Give me hope, then trample on it. In 4, 6, or 8 lines, build up something positive to contrast your tragic message. Tell me how much you loved him before he cheated on you; tell me how good the world is in general before you tell me your lot is to inherit all the world’s scorn. Build it up before you murder it.

Those tips in place, here’s what I wrote. Enjoy.

I’ll curse the mountains all my days

And from my grave I swear

For taking hold of my dearest loves

Now dead in want of air

At thirteen years my husband left,

Was sent away to mine

From mother, father, sisters too

For blackest coal to find

They worked him hard and worked him long

Near twenty whole years he gave

Both wife and child he nary saw

While toiling in that cave

He coughed and withered as years went by

With not a moment spared

To harvest that cursèd onyx gold —

Consumed my husband fair.

To help his mother and sister too,

He followed his father there

and yet fifteen years my son too lost

‘Fore passing in want of air.

Vengeance from a widowed woman

Who lost her dearest two

I’ll curse the fires that burn so hot

And the coal feeds it too

I’ll take the foreman while a phantom fiend

And the ones who follow him

I’ll curse the air they try to breath

And weaken up their limbs

I’ll make them call in vain for aid

And useless make his legs

To see the miner’s maiden’s plight

And drink their loss to dregs