narrative songs
Tales set to music
Narrative songs tell stories, with lyrics that recount events, characters, and plots rather than simply expressing emotions or moods.
Ballads are the classic form: The ballad recounted a tale of love and betrayal.
Folk traditions, country music, and hip-hop all have strong narrative song traditions.
The term distinguishes story-driven songs from those focused on atmosphere or feeling.
- sagaExtended heroic narrative
- chanteySailors' work song
- balladNarrative poem or song
- murder balladSong narrating a homicide
- troubadourMedieval Provençal lyric poet
wandering minstrel · epic · corrido · minstrel · bard · oral tradition · chronicle · folk songs · lament · epic poetry · lay · concept album · storytelling · legend · oral · mythology · tragedy · lyrical
narrative songsinstrumental music
Music without vocals
instrumentals · orchestral pieces · vocalise · symphonies · chamber music
narrative songslove songs
Music expressing romantic devotion