A ballad is a story, usually a narrative or poem, in a song. Any story 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.
If it is based on political or religious themes, a ballad may be a hymn. It should not be confused with the ballade, a 14th and 15th century French verse form.
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