In the olden days of music, a ballad or love song was generally described as a sentimental, narrative lyric set in mellow and slow-tempo music whose theme was love in any of its guises—joys, pains, heartbreaks, disappointments, longing, yearning, and expressions of resentment because of unreciprocated romantic feelings. To this day, many people still cling to this age-old description of ballad or love song—“mellow and slow songs of love.” To them, a ballad can never be fast nor can it take the form of a Rock-styled composition. However, this no longer holds true. Since the evolution of classic Rock n’ Roll music as early as the 1940s, which ultimately led to the development of modern Rock music in the 1960s, the meaning of ballad or love song has also evolved significantly. Just as the acknowledgment of the Rock genres of music has become popular and widespread, the parameters of ballads and love songs have also been expanded and liberated. The current, modern description of ballad or love song is no longer confined to being simply mellow and slow songs of love. Although the theme of the lyrics remains practically the same, the music on which this particular form of songs is set have become diverse. It can now be fast and intense and may take the form of perhaps any genre of music.
Therefore, while ballads or love songs can be mellow and slow as “Somewhere Down the Road” by the American Pop artist Barry Manilow and “My Heart Will Go On” by the Canadian Pop diva Céline Dion, they can also be intense as “All that I Bleed” by the US Metal band Savatage, fast as “Get the Time” by the US Punk Rock band Descendents, or even comical as “If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire” by the US Punk Rock band The Dead Milkmen and morbid as “I Love the Dead” by the American Glam rock singer Alice Cooper.
Here are some more notable examples of ballads or love songs, grouped according to genres to highlight the modern concept and the diversity of the musical form known as ballad or love song.
file under Post-Punk:
“Just like Heaven” – The Cure
“Heart of Glass” – Blondie
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – Joy Division
“I Melt with You” – Modern English
file under Punk Rock:
“Woman” – Anti-Nowhere League
“Kiss Me Deadly” – Generation X
“Wake Me Up when September Ends” – Green Day
“The KKK Took My Baby Away” – The Ramones
file under Metal:
“Born to Be My Baby” – Bon Jovi
“Sweet Child o’ Mine” – Guns n’ Roses
“Angel” – Judas Priest
“Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)” – Mötley Crüe
file under Pop:
“Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” – Backstreet Boys
“Borderline” – Madonna
“Wannabe” – Spice Girls
“I Just Called to Say I Love You” – Stevie Wonder
file under Filipino Alternative Rock:
“Your Love” – Alamid
“Pare Ko” – Eraserheads
“Hinahanap-hanap Kita” – Rivermaya
“Sana Hindi Minsan Mo Lang Akong Tingnan” – WUDS
file under Classical music:
Air on the G String, or “Air” – Johann Sebastian Bach
Für Elise – Ludwig van Beethoven
Canon in D Major – Johann Pachelbel
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini – Sergei Rachmaninoff
Final Note
In view of the ongoing Musiklaban songwriting/music making competition, aspiring contestants are perhaps having difficulty in being able to find ways in putting onto CD their music entries. There are a number of recording studios available in Winnipeg, but recording fees certainly cost a lot. In lieu of this, interested bands may contact Jason Paredes at 509-1765 or jparedes@jaizendesign.com for assistance in recording their songs. He has a home recording studio and charges reasonable recording fee.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballad [01/20/09]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love [01/20/09]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_roll [01/20/09]
