Do you know any songs?

  As a guitar player who is primarily a student and secondarily a composer of instrumental music, I don't think I am alone in not having a huge set list of popular music. It's been decades since I covered songs, and for a long time now, I've mostly learned songs to figure out how they are constructed and practice grooving over different rhythmic feels and chord progressions.

 When people find out I play the guitar, the usual first question is, "what kind of guitar do you play?" I never know quite what answer they are looking for. Do they want me to say acoustic, electric, or bass? Do they want me to answer with a genre like rock, folk, or classical? Basically, the question has already been answered quite simply, I play guitar. Many types and many genres. While I certainly am stronger in some styles and weaker in others, I dabble in several genres using various instruments. Still, that simple truth seems somehow confusing to non-players and even some players. 

 Then there is the classic flashback to my teen years. One of my parents would say to an aunt or uncle at a picnic, holiday, or other gatherings, "you know, Eddie plays the guitar." One of my guitars would magically appear in my hands, and someone (sometimes everyone) would want me to play "a song." The only problem was, I learned "parts." My goal then was to play in an ensemble, like a band. Unfortunately, no one wanted to hear my trumpet part from a high school band piece. Actually, that was only unfortunate for me and not them.

 So my question for you as a musician who plays an instrument but primarily as an ensemble or in a studio situation where you work up various parts to fit in a larger context is this:

 When asked to play a song, do you...

A) Play a song you know well, have rehearsed, and need no accompaniment?

B) Freeze because you don't remember anything but riffs and parts?

C) Improvise by using go-to stuff you've developed as part of your vocabulary?

D) Freeze because you know so many songs, you wouldn't have a clue as to which one would be the best?

E) Crawl into a ball and remember those times from childhood when you felt like a trained pet that was supposed to perform some tick in front of bored silly relatives?

 Of course, you are probably wise enough to just politely decline and change the subject...