Many of the great songs that have inspired performers around the world in the last 50 years come from the English folk song tradition. This authoritative book provides words and melodies for nearly 100 traditional songs, along with a detailed exploration of their history and meaning, the context in which they arose, and their value to writers and performers in Britain, America, and around the world, from Bob Dylan and Paul Simon through to the contemporary "neofolk," "urban folk," and "anti-folk" movements. It is written by experts in the subject, with the full co-operation of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, which has been collecting and studying folk song for a century. The book includes a CD of 20 unaccompanied songs from historic field recordings.