Favorite Ballads - Songs that Tell a Story

[LeeMarsh]

I have long loved ballads, though over the years I've lost many. I thought I'd start a list of favorite ballads.

Alices Restaurant
Polly Vaughn
Barbra Allen
Frozen Logger
Bricklayer's Lament (or why Paddy's not a work today).
The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald
Rocky Raccoon
M.T.A. (Charley's Train Ride).
The Great Mandala
Talkin' Candy Bar Blues Song
Puff the Magic Dragon
Christmas Dinner.
Whiskey in the Jar (Killgare Mountain)

So share a few of your favorite Ballads, bring back the forgotten stories and ...

[jbarter]

The Squire of Tamworth
Hugh Stenson, the Deserter
We Sailed to Virginia (A Benbow song)
The Golden Vanity
Boolavogue
The Doggies' Party

[MarkB]

The Wind That Shakes The Barley
The Snows That Melt the Soonest
Billy Taylor

MarkB

[Joe_Atlanta]

Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks album. Dylan's songs about love in all it's glory and despair includes some good story telling. "Shelter From The Storm" is my favorite, but "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is a classic and both "Simple Twist Of Fate" and "If You See Her, Say Hello" can have you longing for lost loves and chances.

[Joseph E. Smith]

Stan Roger's 'Harris and the Mare'.

[dubhlinn]

Bob Dylan's Blood On The Tracks album. Dylan's songs about love in all it's glory and despair includes some good story telling. "Shelter From The Storm" is my favorite, but "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts" is a classic and both "Simple Twist Of Fate" and "If You See Her, Say Hello" can have you longing for lost loves and chances.

I was thinking about this meself...
"Lily,Rosemary...." has more plotlines and characters than most Movies. Its just his finest album and nothing can ever come near it....though then again ...

Slan,
D.

[RonKiley]

The Girl in the Black Velvet Band
The Banks of the Ohio
John Henry
a whole bunch of train wreck songs

Ron

[buddhu]

Boolavogue
A Parcel of Rogues
James Larkin

[trisha]

Tam Lin (various versions under various names)

best I think being the Child Ballad #9

http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=5686, often sung around here at sessions around Hallowe'en

Trisha

[Darwin]

Taking a somewhat loose interpretation of "ballad" as any story song:

Tam Lin
Henry Lee
The House Carpenter
Little Moses
Poor Ellen Smith
The Cruel Mother
The Miller's Will
Little Margaret
Billy Gray
Bringing Mary Home
Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender
The Springhill Mining Disaster
Pretty Polly
Ommie Wise (Naomi Wise, Deep Water)
Baltimore Fire
Battleship of Maine
Mighty Mississipi
Lady of Carlisle
When First To This Country
The Girl I Left Behind (Maggie Walker Blues)
Tragic Romance
Tom Dooley
Willie Moore
The Flood of '57
The Lovers' Quarrel
The Buffalo Skinners (Hills of Mexico)
The Texas Rangers
(My Name Is) John Johanna (The State of Arkansas)
Little Sadie
Two Soldiers
John Hardy
The Little Orphan Girl (The Orphan Child)
Rain and Snow
Wild Bill Jones
Lilly of the West
One Morning in May
Knoxville Girl
Brave Wolfe
Lord Franklin
Little Bessie
They're At Rest Together
Come All Ye Tender-Hearted
Little Willie
Railroad Boy (Butcher Boy)
Pretty Fair Miss Out in the Garden
The Titanic
Po' Lazarus
Fare Thee Well Titanic
Stackerlee (Stagolee)
Duncan and Brady
Katie Dear (Silver Dagger/Drowsy Sleeper)
Georgie (Geordie)
Charming Polly
Banks of the Nile
Matty (Mattie) Groves
The Gallows Pole
She Moved Through the Fair
Greenland Whale Fisheries
Jesse James
The Streets of Laredo
Down in the Willow Garden
Frankie and Albert (Frankie and Johnnie, Leaving Home)
Everyday Dirt
When the Work's All Done This Fall
Behind Those Stone Walls
The Boston Burglar
Wind and Rain (The Twa Sisters, The Cruel Sister, Binorie)
Henry Martin
The Great Silkie of Sule Skerrie
Hughie Graham (Sir Hugh the Graeme)
The Devil and the Farmer's Wife
The Trooper and the Maid

My mother only sang me two ballads that she had learned from her mother. One was "Barbara Allen". This is the other one:

BABES IN THE WOOD

My dear, do you know how a long time ago,
Two poor little children whose names I don't know,
Were stolen away on a bright summer's day,
And left in the woods, so I've heard people say?

And when it was night, how sad was their plight;
The sun, it went down, and the moon gave no light.
They sobbed, and they sighed, and they bitterly cried,
Then the poor little things, they lay down and died.

And when it was night, the robin so red
Brought strawberry leaves and over them spread,
And all the night long they sang them this song:
"Poor babes in the wood, poor babes in the wood."

I've heard that it might be about the nephews of Richard III, Edward and Richard.

[LeeMarsh]

Just wanted to update my above post with links to the lyrics and thank folks for their contributions. This is great!

[cowtime]

Twa Corbies- macabe to say the least

Joe Hill- a great worker ballad

King Henry- this ballad is much like a "fairy tale"

Old Bill Jones-(was a son-of-a-gun when he had a drink or two)

The False Knight on the Road (a more modern version of this tale would be
The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Twa Sisters/ Wind and Rain/and many more incarnations

Mattie Groves

Thomas the Rhymer

The Death of Queen Jane

Black Jack Davy

The Broom O' Cowdenknowes (one of my most winning and most beloved
Skyes was named after this tune, and the name he knew
was "Broom" which was appropriate for a skye who's coat
did sweep the floor.

Jean O' Bethalnie

Fair and Tender Ladies

these are favorites that I did not see listed previously in other posts

[Walden]

Here's one,

THE MARRIAGE OF KING ARTHUR.

Then happed it on Allhallowmas,
That Bors, the King of Gaul,
And Ban of Benwick, over seas,
Came at King Arthur's call.

They came with full three hundred knights,
All chosen, brave, and true,
To vanquish Arthur's enemies
Who fierce and fiercer grew.

And while they kept high festival
Beneathen cloth of gold,
A thrall came riding in hot haste
And woful tidings told;

How that King Ryence of North Wales
Had gone with sword and lance
From out his mountain fastnesses
'Gainst King Leodogrance.

Now Arthur loved this king for aid
In war, and friendly troth,
But hated Ryence of North Wales,
So at this news was wroth.

King Bors and Ban made ready then
Their chivalry from France,
And all the country rose in arms
To aid Leodogrance.

Full twenty thousand men-at-arms
Rode with King Arthur hard,
Until within six days they reached
The towers of Cameliard.

And then and there the mighty host
Engaged in dreadful fight,
They slaughtered twice five thousand souls
And put Ryence to flight.

'Twas then King Arthur first beheld
The lovely Guinever,
The King's fair daughter -- ever since
He loved but only her.

When that the kingdom freedom gat
From wars and jealous strife,
The barons begged King Arthur then
To wed a loving wife.

With Merlin too was counsel ta'en,
Who deemed it good and wise,
And asked the King if any maid
Found favour in his eyes.

Then answered Arthur, 'There is one,
I deem her passing fair,
The daughter of my trusty friend,
The lovely Guinever.

'To him my father gave a prize
I value more than gold,
The huge Round Table at whose board
Sate knights a hundred told

'And fifty more.' 'Sir,' Merlin said,
'I grant you passing well,
For beauty and for fairness too
No maid can her excel.

'But an ye loved her not, I could
Another damsel find,
Whose beauty and whose goodness should
Be equal in your mind.

'But 'tis not meet a man should wed
Where he can feel no love;
For where his heart is set, he will
Be quick his feet to move.'

'Ah! that is true,' the King replied,
Nor list what Merlin said,
How grief and sorrow would ensue
If he the maid should wed,

But sent him to Leodogrance,
In goodly company,
To plead his suit, and ask the King
What might his pleasure be?

Leodogrance was overjoyed
To welcome Merlin's suite,
Exclaiming that it pleased him well
Arthur's demands to meet.

But said, 'What can I proffer him
With Guinever for dower?
For gold and land he does not lack,
He has such ample store.

'But I the huge Round Table have,
Uther Pendragon gave
To me is trusted friend, and that
His son shall gladly have.

'Alack for hap and woful change!
Full many a gallant knight
Who sate thereat has perished since,
Slain in the bloody fight.

'But still a hundred knights remain,
My faithful bodyguard;
They shall escort my daughter when
She leaveth Cameliard.'

So Merlin, knights, and Guinever
Journeyed by land and sea,
Till they came nigh to London town,
A goodly company.

Then did King Arthur joy to see
The cavalcade arrive,
Bearing the Table that he prized
And Guinever to wive.

He spake out openly and loud,
'This maid I long have loved,
And more than land or precious gold
These gifts my heart have moved.

'For nothing is so lief to me
As Guinever the fair;
To wed her, and to crown her queen,
We quickly will prepare.

'Let Merlin search through all the land
If fifty knights be found,
To fill the places vacant left
Beside the Table Round.'

But only eight-and-twenty knights
Of prowess and good fame
Could Merlin find to fill the seats.
Then Canterbury came --

He came with pomp right royally
To bless the seats in state;
Upon each chair, the while he prayed,
The eight-and-twenty sate.

When they arose and homage paid
To Arthur, as was fit,
Were golden letters found on each,
Telling who there should sit.

But two were void, and so anon
Came riding young Gawaine,
To beg the king to dub him knight,
Nor did he beg in vain

Then forthwithal a poor man came,
And with him his fair son:
'Oh, where shall I King Arthur find?'
He questioned every one.

'Yonder he stands -- what wilt with him?'
Down on his bended knee
He dropped and said, 'O blessed King!
O flower of chivalry!

'May Jesu save thee! here I come
A humble suppliant,
Hearing that on your wedding-day
Ye any boon would grant.

'Sir, I have thirteen stalwart sons,
Who labour all the year,
And do my bidding passing well;
But this thou seest here

'Will nothing do but bend the bow,
And cast the dart afar;
He loves to watch the feasts and games,
And mix where battles are.

'Make him, my King, a gallant knight.'
' 'Tis sooner said than done,'
Arthur replied; but all the while
He watchèd well the son,

And found that he fair-visaged was,
And passingly well made.
'What is thy name, and where thy sword?'
He to the young man said.

'My name is Tor, and here is my sword.'
'Unsheath it and alight.'
The youth leaped from his meagre steed,
Kneeling in Arthur's sight.

'Oh make me, sir, a knight, I pray,
Knight of the Table Round!'
Smiting him on the neck with sword,
'May'st thou be ever found,'

King Arthur said, 'I pray to God,
A good knight and a true!
But to be knight of Table Round
Lacks worth and prowess too.'

And then there happed a wondrous sight;
For when the King was wed
All solemnly at Camelot,
And the high feast was made,

By Merlin's order every knight
Sat silent, one and all,
Each in his siege in solemn state
Within the banquet hall.

Till, as the portals open flew,
Rushed in a hart milk-white,
A snow-white brachet followed on,
And then, O wondrous sight!

Twice thirty coal-black hounds pursued
The hart with yell and cry,
And when the brachet wounded her
She moanèd piteously,

And gave a sudden bound that threw
One knight upon the ground,
Wherefrom he soon arose and seized
By force the snow white hound.

Quick out of hall, he leaped to horse,
Bearing his prize away,
Riding as if for life and death,
That no man could him stay.

Anon there came on palfrey white
A lady fair and gay,
Who begged the King to give her back
Her brachet stolen away.

That can I not,' said Arthur. Then
A knight in full array
Came riding in, armed cap-a-pie
And bore the maid away.

By force he snatched her that she made
Such dole with shriek and cry,
That all within the banquet hall
Rejoiced to see them fly.

Then Merlin spake: 'Ye may not treat
These shames as poor and slight,
Else much disworship will arise
To King and every knight

'Belonging to the Table Round;
But order noble men,
Gawaine, and Pellinore, and Tor,
To fetch them back again.'

'That will I,' said the King. 'Gawaine,
Bring back the milk-white hart.
To you, King Pellinore, behoves
To play a nobler part:

'The Knight and Lady you shall meet
In war and fearful strife;
Bring them again before this court,
Or sacrifice their life.

'And you, Sir Tor, your valour test,
And knightly honour gain,
For bringing back the brachet white
Within this hall again.'

It little boots me now to tell
How each one's work was sped;
Suffice it that they all returned
Their task accomplishèd.

Then Arthur stablished all the knights;
To such as were too poor
He granted lands and tenements
Dividing up his store.

And solemnly he charged them all
No outrage e'er to do,
Murder, cruelty, and vice,
And treason to eschew.

He said, 'To him that asketh you
Mercy and pardon give,
Under the ban of forfeiting
My service while ye live;

'The penalty of death be yours,
If damsels in distress
Or gentlewomen plead in vain
For succour or redress.

'And let no man for worldly goods,
Or lands, or sordid pelf,
In wrongful quarrel battle make
Or glorify himself.

'Swear,' said King Arthur -- every knight
Uprose to do his will --
'Swear faithfully and loyally
My precepts to fulfil.'

'Twas done -- in every future year,
As Pentecost came by,
King Arthur's knights were bound by oath
To truth and chivalry.

And thus was stablished in our land
Honour and loyalty;
Long may they last, nor ever fail
Till time itself shall die!

--Anonymous

[gonzo914]

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Mediocre Fred

[Will O'B]

I have to agree with you on Alice's Restaurant and The M.T.A., Lee. Those are two of my favorite humourous ballads. I also like the Johnny Cash version of A Boy Named Sue and The One On The Right Was On The Left.

Will O'Ban