What is a Ballad? Ballad Definition?
A form of verse to be sung or recited and characterized by its presentation of a dramatic or exciting episode in simple narrative form.
The ballad as “a poem meant for singing, quite impersonal in material, probably connected in its origins with the communal dance, but submitted to a process of oral tradition among people who are free from literary influences and fairly homogeneous in character.”
Soul Ballad
As practiced by: Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, Earth, Wind and Fire, Smokey Robinson, Commodores, The Chi-Lites, Otis Redding, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, …
The Ballad of Davy Crockett
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
The greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so’s he knew ev’ry tree
Kilt him a b’ar when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier
Fought single-handed through many a war
Till the enemy was whipped and peace was in store
And while he was handlin’ this risky chore
He made himself a legend forever more
Davy, Davy Crockett, the man who knew no fear
He went off to Congress and served a spell
Fixin’ up the Government and the laws as well
Took over Washington, so I heard tell
And he patched up the crack in the Liberty Bell
Davy, Davy Crockett, seeing his duty clear
When he came home his politic’ing was done
And the western march had just begun
So he packed his gear and his trusty gun
And lit out a-grinnin’ to follow the sun
Davy, Davy Crockett, leading the pioneer
Love Ballad
Ballad of the Green Beret
Fighting soldiers from the sky
Fearless men who jump and die
Men who mean just what they say
The brave men of the Green Berets
Silver wings upon their chests
These are men, America’s best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret
Trained to live off nature’s land
Trained to combat hand-to-hand
Men who fight by night and day
Courage taken from the Green Beret
Silver wings upon their chests
These are men, America’s best
One hundred men will test today
But only three win the Green Beret
Back at home a young wife waits
Her Green Beret has met his fate
He has died for those oppressed
Leaving her this last request
Put silver wings on my son’s chest
Make him one of America’s best
He’ll be a man they’ll test one day
Have him win the Green Beret
Ballad of Jed Clampett
Come and listen to a story ’bout a man named Jed
Poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed
Then one day he was shooting for some food,
And up through the ground come a bubbling crude
(Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea)
Well the first thing you know old Jed’s a millionaire
Kin folk said Jed move away from there
Said California is the place you oughta be
So they loaded up the truck and they moved to Beverly
(Hills that is, swimming pools, movie stars)
Well now it’s time to say goodbye to Jed and all his kin
They would like to thank you folks for kindly dropping in
You’re all invited back again to this locality
To have a heaping helping of their hospitality
(Beverly Hillbillies, that’s what they call ’em now,
Nice folks Y’all come back now, ya hear?)
“The Ballad of Jed Clampett” was used as the theme song for The Beverly Hillbillies TV show and movie. The song was written by Paul Henning and originally performed by bluegrass musicians Flatt and Scruggs. It was #44 on the music charts in 1962. The song provided the back story for the series.