A broadside ballad is a descriptive song that intends to raise awareness of a contemporary social or political issue. It is in a ballad form, and its purpose is to be sung by the population instead of the artist. . A ballad usually has a phrase that is repeated several times and it usually has a significant importance. That phrase is like the thesis in an essay.
The reason they are important and better than a poem is that they are more expressive than a poem or a story.
For example, songs that are really famous, which everybody knows, have been added a lyrics that contained people’s opinions about politics, injustices, wars, recent crimes, executions, etc. So, when peope sing those songs they are not just singing them but they are feeling the meaning of it and trying to express what they have inside, so they would get people’s attention and hopefully get support from others and get out of the bad situate they are in.
Therefore, people would be more attracted to a song they know and to a melody they are familiar with than just read a poem, which to me is kind of boring.
This link has a broadside ballad that I chose and it is called “Which side are you on”. This song was written by Florence Reece in 1931. She was the wife of a union organizer in Kentucky. In 1931 the miners of that region were locked in a bitter and violent struggle with the mine owners. Just to intimidate the Reece family, deputies hired by the mining company illegally entered and searched the Reece family home. Sam Reece, Florence’s husband had been warned in advance and escaped, but Florence and their children were terrorized in his place. That night, after the men had gone, Florence wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?” She took the melody from a traditional Baptist hymn called "Lay the Lily Low".
Now that I know what the actual meaning of a ballad is, and how it has helped to rise awareness about different issues, the value of music has increased even more for me. I think broadside ballads give more than just lyrics because it is not only a poem nor only a song but it is both combined and it expresses the feelings of the mass; and not only a simple feeling, but something that they cannot express in any other way and which actually scratches them inside of their heart.
