What is the meaning of the songs in The Pearl?

The
songs in this book are important because they add historical and cultural depth to both the
setting and the characters. We are told that no new songs are being created, but the old songs
remained important.

The songs remained; Kino knew them,
but no new songs were added. That does not mean that there were no personal songs. In Kino's
head there was a song now, clear and soft, and if he had been able to speak of it, he would have
called it the Song of the Family.

The songs themselves
serve as a way to more deeply build Kino as a character and his family, and the Song of the
Family remains important through various parts of the story. The song serves as a way to remind
readers of the thematic importance of family, as well as being important to the family itself.
For example, we are told early in the story that a simple three note song was capable of endless
variety and therefore was able to endlessly function as a binding tie to the family.

Kino could see these things without looking at...