Folk Music, Essay Example

Folk music can be defined in a variety of ways and aims to relay people’s stories.  While there is no definitive definition of the genre, there are several characteristic commonly found in folk music such as lyrics being tied to a national culture, the commemoration of events, and the transmission of said story orally and across generations.  A song that can be considered to be a folk song is Simon and Garfunkel’s “Richard Cory,” based on the poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson.

“Richard Cory” tells the story of a wealthy American man whom poor people envy and who inexplicably commits suicide.  The song is tied to American culture through its writer and the theme that is explored.  Although published in 1897, at the time the poem was written, the United States was experiencing an economic depression known as the Panic of 1893, which resulted in a series of bank failures.  As such, it is possible that Richard Cory committed suicide because he lost everything and his wealth was tied to the industries that were highly affected by this depression.

“Richard Cory” is also tied to commemoration of events through its historical background and its lyrics.  Historically, “Richard Cory” alludes to the Panic of 1893, whereas the lyrics commemorate a first-person account of what it was like to see Richard Cory, who was admired by those less financially fortunate than he.  The poem also commemorates the “calm summer night” when he “put a bullet in his head.”

The tale of Richard Cory has been transmitted orally and across generations, first by Simon and Garfunkel who took the poem and set it to music in 1965.  The song has subsequently been covered by Wings in 1976 and Mark Seymour in 1997.

Because “Richard Cory” can successfully be tied to American values and traditions, commemorates events, and is transmitted orally and across generations, it can be considered to be a folk song.