20th century folk songs on the map

Folk or traditional 20th century songs tied to specific towns and routes.

By hello

30 posts

• A Long Road to Tipperary — A pre-1990 folk-style travel song centered on Tipperary, a specific town rather than a city or country. The song is traditionally associate…
• The Whitby Lad — A traditional English folk song tied to Whitby, a specific coastal town. The song is traditional, with no single known writer, and has circ…
• The Holmfirth Anthem — A traditional Yorkshire song associated with Holmfirth and often sung as a local anthem. It is a traditional work with no single confirmed…
• The Blacksmith of Brandywine — A traditional ballad commonly known through folk performances, popularized by singers including The Carter Family in the early 20th century…
• The Lincolnshire Poacher — A traditional English folk song associated with Lincolnshire and popularized in recorded form by singers such as A. L. Lloyd and many later…
• East Virginia Blues — A traditional American folk song popularized in the folk revival by The Carter Family. The song is credited as traditional, with no single…
• The Leaving of Liverpool — A traditional song widely sung by folk performers and best known through revival recordings by The Clancy Brothers, The Dubliners, and othe…
• Yarmouth Town — A traditional sea song associated with Great Yarmouth and popularized in folk circles by singers such as Ewan MacColl and later revival per…
• The Town I Loved So Well — A poignant song associated with Phil Coulter, who wrote it and first popularized it in the early 1970s. The lyrics reflect on the singer's…
• The Village of St. Bernadette — A 1959 song written by Australian singer Eula Parker and popularized by Andy Williams in 1960. The lyric is tied to the pilgrimage town of…
• Carefree Highway — A 1974 folk-country song by Gordon Lightfoot, who wrote and popularized it. The title comes from a section of Arizona State Route 74 near P…
• Cripple Creek — An American traditional folk and old-time song that became a bluegrass standard. It was popularized by generations of folk and bluegrass pe…
• The Road to the Isles — A traditional Scottish song about the historic route to the west Highlands and the islands, especially the road corridor ending at Mallaig.…
• The Newry Highwayman — A traditional Irish folk ballad about a highwayman whose story is tied to Newry and other place-names in its many versions. It is an old so…
• Come Back, Paddy Reilly, to Ballyjamesduff — An Irish favorite originally written and popularized by Percy French and later widely performed by Val Doonican. The song affectionately ce…
• Poplar Bluff, Missouri — Song: Poplar Bluff Popularized by: Hank Snow Written by: Hank Snow A country road song from the 1950s that treats Poplar Bluff as a memorab…
• Muskegon, Michigan — Song: Muskegon Popularized by: Johnny Horton Written by: Johnny Horton A late-1950s country hit that celebrates Muskegon with the same stor…
• Keokuk, Iowa — Song: Keokuk, Iowa Popularized by: Don Cornell Written by: Jerry Livingston and Mack David A novelty-pop favorite from the early 1950s that…
• Shawnee, Oklahoma — Song: Shawnee Town Popularized by: The Delmore Brothers Written by: Alton Delmore and Rabon Delmore A 1940s country oldie that turns the Ok…
• Dirty Old Town — A 1949 song written by Ewan MacColl and made popular by the Dubliners, with later well-known versions by the Spinners, the Pogues, and Rod…