ballad

/ˈbæləd/

/ˈbæləd/

Other forms: ballads

A ballad is a song that tells a story, and it can be dramatic, funny, or romantic. You can find ballads in a variety of musical styles, from country-western to rock n' roll.

The ballad is an old musical form. Ballads are often by anonymous composers, passed down from generation to generation. You may know “The Ballad of Jesse James," about the notorious bank robber, which dates from the 1880s and has been recorded by everybody from Woody Guthrie to Springsteen. A ballad can also be a slow, romantic song, the kind of thing crooners like Johnny Mathis and Bing Crosby made famous. The word ballad comes from medieval French balade, a dancing song.

Definitions of ballad

1. noun

   a narrative poem of popular origin
   synonyms: lay

   types:

   Edda

   either of two distinct works in Old Icelandic dating from the late 13th century and consisting of 34 mythological and heroic ballads composed between 800 and 1200; the primary source for Scandinavian mythology

   type of:

   poem, verse form

   a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines
2. noun

   a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
   synonyms: lay

   types:

   minstrelsy

   ballads sung by minstrels

   type of:

   song, vocal

   a short musical composition with words