A characteristic of older folksongs, in most cases, is that we don't know their composers or authors. Older folksongs were written often with no commercial purpose in mind. They were passed down by word of mouth, from generation to generation.
“I'd rather go to the White House Correspondents' dinner than any awards show.”
“The school-room sends men to the Legislature, to the bench, and the executive office. The bar-room sends them to the scaffold and hell.”