IN> Re: 1. The Eternal Thompson Gunner

[Blaine DeLancey]

>I can't think of any songs off-hand that were
>written about spectacularly villainous characters, but
>that's probably got more to do with my preference for
>happy/weird ditties than the lack of such songs in
>existence. Anyone on the list with greater experience
>of folk music is welcome to chime in.

There's an entire category of folk songs called Murder Ballads, which always
are about ne're do wells and criminals; Examples include Tom Dooley, Omi
Wise and Little Sadie.  There's also the highwayman ballads, like Brennan on
the Moor, Jesse James, Pretty Boy Floyd, etc.  There's even one I've
encountered written about Quantrill, of Quantrill's Raiders, who was a
pretty all around unpleasant fellow.