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Illustration by Arthur Rackham of the ballad The Twa Corbies

A ballad is a poem usually set to music; thus, it often is a story told in a song. Any myth form may be told as a ballad, such as historical accounts or fairy tales in verse form. It usually has foreshortened, alternating four-stress lines ("ballad meter") and simple repeating rhymes, often with a refrain. The term ballad can denote one of the following things: Ballad: 1. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1391x1888, 290 KB) Other versions no. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1391x1888, 290 KB) Other versions no. ... An illustration from Alices Adventures in Wonderland Arthur Rackham (September 19, 1867 – September 6, 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator. ... The Twa Corbies, Illustration by Arthur Rackham to Some British Ballads The Three Ravens (Roud 5) is a folk ballad, printed in the song book Melismata compiled by Thomas Ravenscroft and published in 1611, but it is perhaps older than that. ... This article is about the musical composition. ... Common metre, abbreviated C. M., is an iambic metre consisting of four lines of length 8,6,8,6 syllables (that is strictly the alternation of iambic tetrametre and iambic trimetre). ... A rhyme is a repetition of identical or similar sounds in two or more different words and is most often used in poetry and song. ... A refrain (from the Old French refraindre to repeat, likely from Vulgar Latin refringere) is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the chorus of a song. ...

If it is based on a political or religious theme, a ballad may be a hymn. It should not be confused with the ballade, a 14th and 15th century french verse form. For other uses, see Hymn (disambiguation). ... The ballade was a verse form consisting of three (sometimes five) stanzas, each with the same metre, rhyme scheme and last line, with a shorter concluding stanza (an envoi). ...

Broadsheet ballads

Main article: Broadside (music)

See also: Child Ballads

Broadsheet ballads (also known as broadside ballads) were cheaply printed and hawked in English streets from the sixteenth century. They were often topical, humorous, and even subversive; the legends of Robin Hood and the pranks of Puck were disseminated through broadsheet ballads. Printed lyrics of folk songs were extremely popular from the 16th century until the early 20th century. ... The Child Ballads are a collection of 305 ballads from England and Scotland, and their American variants, collected by Francis James Child. ... For other uses, see Robin Hood (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Puck (Shakespeare) be merged into this article or section. ...

New ballads were written about current events like fires, the birth of monstrous animals, and so forth, giving particulars of names and places. Satirical ballads and Royalist ballads contributed to 17th century political discourse. In a sense, these ballads were antecedents of the modern newspaper. Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy as a form of government in a nation. ...

Thomas Percy, Robert Harley, Francis James Child, Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg were early collectors and publishers of ballads from the oral tradition, broadsheets and previous anthologies. Percy's publication of Reliques of Ancient Poetry and Harley's collections, such as The Bagford Ballads, were of great import in beginning the study of ballads. Thomas Percy (April 13, 1729 - September 30, 1811), was Bishop of Dromore, and is remembered as editor of Tatler, Guardian, and Spectator. ... Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Mortimer (5 December 1661 – 21 May 1724), was an English statesman of the Stuart and early Georgian periods. ... Francis James Child (February 1, 1825 - September 11, 1896), was an American scholar and educationist, and collector of what came to be known as the Child Ballads. ... Raeburns portrait of Sir Walter Scott in 1822. ... For the Texas Governor, see Jim Hogg James Hogg James Hogg (1770 - November 21, 1835) was a Scottish poet and novelist who wrote in both Scots and English. ... The Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (sometimes known as Reliques of Ancient Poetry or simply Percys Reliques) is a collection of ballads and popular songs collected by Thomas Percy and published in 1765. ... The Bagford Ballads were English ballads collected by John Bagford (1651 - 1716) for Robert Harley, first Earl of Oxford. ...

Literary ballads

Literary ballads are those composed and written formally. The form, with its connotations of simple folkloric authenticity, became popular with the rise of Romanticism in the late 18th century, though there are precedents for this kind of literary attraction to ballad in earlier literature, such as the 15th century pastourelle Robene and Makyne. Literary ballads may be set to music. Schubert's Der Erlkönig and The Hostage, set literary ballads by Goethe (see also Der Zauberlehrling) and Schiller. In Romantic opera a ballad set into the musical texture may emphasize or play against the theatrical moment. Atmospheric ballads in operas were initiated in Weber's Der Freischütz and include Senta's ballad in Wagner's Der fliegende Holländer, or the 'old song' 'Salce' Desdemona sings in Verdi's Otello. Compare the stanza-like structure and narrative atmosphere of the musical Ballades for solo piano of Chopin or Brahms. Romantics redirects here. ... Schubert redirects here. ... The Erlking, by Albert Sterner, ca. ... This article is about the Schiller poem. ... Goethe redirects here. ... The Sorcerers Apprentice is the English name of both an 1897 symphonic poem by Paul Dukas (Lapprenti sorcier in French), and of a 1797 ballad by Goethe (Der Zauberlehrling in German), which inspired the musical work. ... Friedrich Schiller “Schiller” redirects here. ... Carl Maria von Weber Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst, Freiherr von Weber (November 18, 1786 in Eutin, Holstein – June 5, 1826 in London, England) was a German composer, conductor, pianist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school. ... Der Freischütz (EN: The Freeshooter) is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber to a libretto by Friedrich Kind. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (22 May 1813 – 13 February 1883) was a German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as they were later called). ... The Flying Dutchman (original German title: Der fliegende Holländer) is an opera, music and libretto by Richard Wagner, in three acts. ... Desdemona by Frederic Leighton Desdemona is a fictional character in the play Othello by William Shakespeare. ... Verdi redirects here. ... For the Rossini opera, see Otello (Rossini) or for the eurobeat artist see Gianni Coraini. ... The ballade was a verse form consisting of three (sometimes five) stanzas, each with the same metre, rhyme scheme and last line, with a shorter concluding stanza (an envoi). ... Chopin redirects here. ... Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897) was a German composer of the Romantic period. ...

Ballad opera

Main article: Ballad opera

A particularly English form, the ballad opera, has as its most famous example John Gay's The Beggar's Opera, which inspired the 20th-century cabaret operas of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill (q.v.). Ballad strophes usually alternate between iambic tetrameter and iambic pentameter, though this is not always the case. Ballad opera is a genre of 18th century English stage entertainment. ... John Gay John Gay (30 June 1685 - 4 December 1732) was an English poet and dramatist. ... Painting based on The Beggars Opera, Scene V, William Hogarth, c. ... {{dy justified his choice of form, and from about 1929 on he began to interpret its penchant for contradictions, much as had Eisenstein, in terms of the dialectic. ... Kurt Julian Weill (March 2, 1900 – April 3, 1950), born in Dessau, Germany and died in New York City, was a German and in his later years, a German-American composer active from the 1920s until his death. ...

Popular song

Main article: Ballad (music)

In the 20th Century, "ballad" took on the meaning of a popular song "especially of a romantic or sentimental nature" (American Heritage Dictionary). Casting directors often divide songs into two categories: "ballads" (slower or sentimental songs) and "up" tunes (faster or happier songs). A power ballad is a love song delivered with power often using rock instruments. For other uses, see Ballad (disambiguation). ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... -1...

Famous ballads

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Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Traditional

Illustration by Arthur Rackham to Young Bekie.

• Akilattirattu Ammanai
• Ballad of Chevy Chase
• Ballad of Jesse James
• Ballad of Keawaiki
• Barbara Allen (song)
• Edward
• Fields of Athenry
• Golden Vanity
• Greensleeves
• Henry Martin
• John Barleycorn
• Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier
• La Belle Dame Sans Merci
• Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight
• Lochinvar
• Lord Randall
• Lord Willoughby
• Lovely Joan
• Lyke-Wake Dirge
• The Man From Snowy River
• Many ballads of Robin Hood
• Mary Hamilton
• Mary Tamlin
• Me and You
• Molly and Tenbrooks (aka "The Racehorse Song")
• Oh Shenandoah
• The Rising of the Moon
• Rocky Road to Dublin
• Scarborough Fair
• Sir Patrick Spens
• Tam Lin
• The Ballad of Mulan
• The Ballad of Reading Gaol
• The Ballad of Sal Villanueva
• The Battle of Harlaw
• The Battle of New Orleans
• The Battle of Otterburn
• The Colour of his Hair
• The Cruel Brother
• The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry
• The Gypsy Laddie
• The Highwayman
• The Hostage
• The Mines of Avondale
• The Three Ravens
• Thomas the Rhymer
• Vadakkan Pattukal
• Verner Raven - oldest Scandinavian ballad with music

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... An illustration from Alices Adventures in Wonderland Arthur Rackham (September 19, 1867 – September 6, 1939) was a prolific English book illustrator. ... Illustration by Arthur Rackham: Young Beckie in prison. ... Akilathirattu Ammanai அகிலத்திரட்டு அம்மானை (Tamil: akilam (world) + thirattu (collection) + ammanai (ballad)), also called Thiru Edu (venerable book), is the main religious book of the Southern Indian Ayyavazhi faith, officially an offshoot of Hinduism. ... At least two English ballads known as The Ballad of Chevy Chase exist, but the nature of ballads mean that many more versions of this once popular song may not have survived. ... The Ballad of Barbara Allen, also known as Barbara Ellen, Barbry Allen, Barbriallen, etc. ... Edward is a traditional murder ballad existing in several variants, collected by Francis James Child as Child ballad number 13. ... The Fields of Athenry is a song about the Irish Famine of the late 1840s, which was composed in the 1980s by Pete St. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wikisource. ... For the record label, see Greensleeves Records. ... Henry Martin is a cartoonist. ... Traffics album John Barleycorn Must Die contains a well known version of the John Barleycorn folksong. ... Categories: Stub | Poems | British poems ... Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight (Child Ballad #4), is the English representative of a very large class of European ballads, most frequently known under the title Halewyn (or some variant). ... Lochinvar O young Lochinvar is come out of the west, Through all the wide Border his steed was the best; And save his good broadsword he weapons had none, He rode all unarmd, and he rode all alone. ... Lord Randall is a traditional ballad that includes dialogue. ... LOVELY JOAN (from The Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs) http://www. ... The Lyke-Wake Dirge is a traditional British song that tells a Christian tale (although the ideas and the imagery are pre-Christian) of the souls travel, and the hazards it faces, on its way from earth to Heaven. ... The Man From Snowy River is a poem by Australian bush poet Banjo Paterson. ... For other uses, see Robin Hood (disambiguation). ... Mary Hamilton (aka The Four Marys) is a Sixteenth Century ballad that tells the story of Mary Hamilton, one of the four Marys, all of whom were ladies-in-waiting to Mary Queen of Scots. ... Molly and Tenbrooks, also known as The Racehorse Song is, by some definitions the first recording in the bluegrass music genre. ... Oh Shenandoah (also called simply Shenandoah) is an American folk song, dating to the early 19th century. ... For other uses, see The Rising of the Moon (disambiguation). ... Lyrics In the merry month of June from me home I started, Left the girls of Tuam so nearly broken hearted, Saluted Father dear, kissed me darling mother, Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother, Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born... A setting of the first verse of Scarborough Fair Annotation: The extract of the musical score represented herewith details a variation: the last note of the second measure may be rendered E not F. Scarborough Fair is a traditional English fair, as well as a traditional English ballad. ... Sir Patrick Spens is one of the most popular of the Child Ballads (No. ... Tam Lin is the hero of a Borders legend about fairies and mortal men. ... Oil painting on silk, Hua Mulan Goes to War Hua Mulan (Traditional Chinese: 花木蘭; Simplified Chinese: 花木兰; pinyin: ) (Vietnamese VIQR: Mo^.c Lan) is the heroine who joined an all-male army described in a famous Chinese non-fictional poem written during the period of the Northern Dynasties (420-589... The Ballad of Reading Gaol is a famous poem by Oscar Wilde, written after his release from Reading prison on 19 May 1897. ... The Battle of Harlaw was fought near Aberdeen in Northeast Scotland, July, 1411. ... For other uses of the name, see Battle of New Orleans (disambiguation). ... The Battle of Otterburn took place on the 9 August 1388 or 15 August 1388, as part of the continuing border skirmishes between the Scottish and English. ... The Cruel Brother is Child ballad 11. ... The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry or The Grey Selkie of Suleskerry is Child ballad number 113, from the Orkneys. ... The Gypsy Laddie (Roud 1, Child 200, also known as Black Jack Davy among many other titles) is a traditional folk ballad, approximated to have been written in 1720. ... The Highwayman is a narrative poem by Alfred Noyes published in 1906. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Twa Corbies, Illustration by Arthur Rackham to Some British Ballads The Three Ravens (Roud 5) is a folk ballad, printed in the song book Melismata[1] compiled by Thomas Ravenscroft and published in 1611, but it is perhaps older than that. ... Thomas the Rhymer (also Thomas Rhymer or Thomas Rymer) is the better-known name of Thomas Learmonth of Erceldoune, a 13th century Scottish laird and reputed soothsayer. ... Its a collection of Malayalam Ballads of medieval origin. ...

Modern

• Washed Away
• I Must Be Dreaming
• The Ecstasy of Gold
• Ballad of Buckethead
• Ballad of a Dead Soldier
• Ballad of a Thin Man
• Ballad of Davy Crockett
• Ballad of the Alamo
• Ballad of the Green Berets
• Bohemian Rhapsody
• Carry On Wayward Son
• Fade to Black
• Frankie and Johnny
• Frankie Silver
• Hotel California
• Hurricane
• I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night
• Infinite Dreams
• It Must Have Been Love
• Listening to Freddie Mercury
• Me And Bobby McGee
• Nothing Else Matters
• November Rain
• Sweet Child O' Mine
• Ode to Billie Joe
• On Top of Spaghetti
• Piano Man
• She's Leaving Home
• Space Oddity
• Spread Your Wings
• Stairway to Heaven
• Dazed and Confused
• Still Loving You
• The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
• The Ballad of Curtis Lowe
• The Ballad Of Gerda And Tore
• The Ballad of Gilligan's Isle
• The Ballad of John and Yoko
• The Ballad of Mack the Knife
• The Ballad Of Moon Dog Mayne
• The Ballad of The Sneak
• The Devil Went Down to Georgia
• The Unforgiven
• The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
• Tom's Diner
• Trapped in the Closet
• Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
• Uneasy Rider
• Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
• Where the Wild Roses Grow

The Ecstasy of Gold is the title of a song written by Ennio Morricone for the Clint Eastwood film The good, the bad and the ugly (1966). ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... The Ballad of Davy Crockett is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Tom Blackburn. ... Ballad of the Green Berets is a patriotic song in the ballad style about the Green Berets, an elite special force in the U.S. Army. ...   is a song written by Freddie Mercury and originally recorded by the band Queen for their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. ... Carry On Wayward Son is a hit progressive rock single recorded by Kansas and written by Kerry Livgren for their 1976 album Leftoverture. ... Music sample Fade to Black Problems? See media help. ... Frankie and Johnny (also called Frankie and Albert) is a bluegrass murder ballad. ... This article, image, template or category should belong in one or more categories. ... This article is about the album. ... Hurricane is a protest song by Bob Dylan about the imprisonment of Rubin Hurricane Carter. ... Infinite Dreams is a live single released in 1989 by the British heavy metal band Iron Maiden. ... Roxette singles chronology It Must Have Been Love is a pop song written by Per Gessle and performed by the Swedish pop duo Roxette. ... Original album cover from Roger Miller Me and Bobby McGee is a song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, originally performed by Roger Miller, but best remembered for Janis Joplins cover of the song, recorded a few days before her death in October 1970. ... Music sample Nothing Else Matters ( file info) Problems? See media help. ... November Rain is a song by the band Guns N Roses, written by Axl Rose. ... Appetite for Destruction track listing Music sample Sweet Child o Mine Problems? See media help. ... Ode to Billie Joe is a 1967 album written and performed by Bobbie Gentry, a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. ... On Top of Spaghetti is a well-known folk song and childrens song written and originally performed by folk singer Tom Glazer in 1963. ... Piano Man track listing Travelin Prayer (1) Piano Man (2) Aint No Crime (3) Piano Man was Billy Joels first major hit, and is considered Joels signature song. ... Shes Leaving Home is a song, written and sung by Paul McCartney, and released in 1967 on The Beatles album Sgt. ... Space Oddity is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a single in 1969. ... Spread Your Wings is a song by Queen, from their 1977 album News Of The Word. ... This article is about the Led Zeppelin song. ... Dazed and Confused is a song by folk singer Jake Holmes from his debut solo album The Above Ground Sound of Jake Holmes, released in June, 1967. ... Still Loving You is a Scorpions hard rock ballad from their 1984 album Love at First Sting. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Ballad of Curtis Loew is a song written by Allen Collins and Ronnie Van Zant and performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd. ... For the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) video game, see The Adventures of Gilligans Island. ... The Ballad of John and Yoko is a Beatles song written by John Lennon. ... For other uses, see Mack the Knife (disambiguation). ... The Devil Went Down to Georgia is a country song written and performed by the Charlie Daniels Band and released on their 1979 [1] album Million Mile Reflections. ... The Unforgiven is one of the slower songs on the self-titled album, Metallica (also known as the Black Album). ... The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a song written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. ... The real Toms Restaurant also appeared in Seinfeld. ... This article is about the R. Kelly series of songs. ... Two Out of Three Aint Bad is the first hit single by the American musician Meat Loaf in his solo carrier , followed by Paradise By the Dashboard Light. It is a track off his 1977 album Bat Out of Hell, written by Jim Steinman. ... Uneasy Rider is a 1973 country music song written and performed by American singer and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Daniels[1]. It consists of a narrative that is spoken rather than sung over a guitar melody and is sometimes considered a novelty song. ... Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is the fourth song from Metallicas 1986 album Master of Puppets. ... Where the Wild Roses Grow is an alternative-rock song written by Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ninth album Murder Ballads (1996), and features guest vocals by Australian pop-singer Kylie Minogue. ...

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Ballads

• List of folk song collections
• Francis James Child
• Graves, Alfred Perceval

The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Francis James Child (February 1, 1825 - September 11, 1896), was an American scholar and educationist, and collector of what came to be known as the Child Ballads. ... Alfred Perceval Graves (July 22, 1846 - December 27, 1931), was an Irish writer. ...

External links

• The Bodleian Library Ballad Collection: view facsimiles of printed ballads
• The Traditional Ballad Index
• Murder Ballads
• English and some German ballads
• Folk Music, Child Ballads, Popular Songs In American History, Sea Shanties etc.
• Black-letter Broadside Ballads Of The years 1595-1639 From The Collection Of Samuel Pepys
• Smithsonian Global Sound: The Music of Poetry - audio samples of poems, hymns and songs in ballad meter.
• Velle Espeland, ...all for his maiden fair: The Scandinavian ballads
• The Oxford Book of Ballads, colplete 1910 book by Arthur Quiller-Couch

Possible sources:www.poemhunter.com/poems/ballad/ or www.poemsabout.com/ballad/