what is folk song

A folk song is a type of music that belongs to a traditional genre of folk music. It is a song that originates among the people of a country or area, passed by oral tradition from one singer or generation to the next, often existing in several versions. Folk songs can be traditional songs from a particular region or modern songs that are written in a style similar to that of traditional music. They are typically associated with other activities and are primarily rural in origin. Some features of folk music that one might use to define it include being transmitted orally, having unknown composers, being played on traditional instruments, being about a particular culture or event, being played on certain days of the year and at particular festivals, and being associated with folklore and myth. Folk songs were traditionally performed on folk instruments, never written down, and had unknown origins. The term "folk music" came into the lexicon in the 19th century, but the music of the genre was created and performed long before that.