1923, 1945, 1962, and even 2045; what we are trying to say is that no matter the year, folk music will always come out. And given its sentimental and intellectual grip on the masses and the music industry, it will continue to be remembered so long as the sun burns. Like many things, folk music’s presence is inevitable and will always remain in the greater fabric of the world’s social consciousness.
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If you’ve read a story from this series of articles before or are simply a knowledgeable music fan, then you know the height of popular folk music transpired in the 60s. However, the turn of the decade carried on the motion of that movement and released some great folk tunes as well, and here are three from 1971.
“Angel From Montgomery” by John Prine
John Prine is one of the greatest American artistic minds across all fields. While he might not have packed stadiums or starred in commercials, Prine accomplished something far greater, and that was a genuine emotional attachment with his audience. Arguably, every John Prine song accomplished this feat, including his 1971 track, “Angel From Montgomery”.
Liberation, escape, and a mystical flight away from the mundane are what Prine sings about in this classic. Like every John Prine song, you can likely see a part of yourself in these words. Consequently, people have been listening to the song and lyrically looking in the mirror ever since its release in 1971.
“River” by Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell‘s 1971 album, Blue, is widely considered the greatest album in her catalog. To some, there isn’t a bad song on it, and to many, the “best” folk song on the album is “River.” Set in the backdrop of the holiday season, Mitchell’s classic contrasts the cheer of the holiday season by dwelling upon the melancholy of a failed relationship.
Looking to escape such feelings, Mitchell, the speaker, skates down a frozen river. However, the ride becomes a fleeting journey of introspection. And given the emotional pull of this song, it will likely make you endure the same experience.
“Famous Blue Raincoat” by Leonard Cohen
Every Leonard Cohen folk song is like reading a poem by Robert Frost or W.B. Yeats. They are highly academic yet digestible, simple yet deeply layered, and in totality, positively and productively cryptic. One of the many songs of Cohen’s that encompass all those notions is his 1971 staple, “Famous Blue Raincoat”.
“Famous Blue Raincoat” is generally about betrayal, romance, longing, sorrow, and all that other good stuff. Though seemingly, in essence, the song articulates how physical items exist as a symbol of the life you have lived, the pain you’ve endured, and the joy you’ve experienced. While some may disagree with that as the head meaning, it is one of the meanings that make this classic folk song universally understandable.
Photo by Roz Kelly/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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