Ballad

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- and three-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.