Ballads are always narratives that tell a significant and often violent or shocking event, involving such themes as adultery, murder and political intrigue. A lyric song, on the other hand, is more about emotions and personal reactions to an event. A ballad takes the reader through the events of a story with little personal reaction from the narrator.
The traditional ballad stanza often has four lines with an A-B-A-B rhyme scheme. A-B-C-B rhyme schemes are also often popular. Most traditional ballads have alternating lines of four and three syllabic accents.
Ballads contain a great deal of repetition, both in the form of a refrain and in the repetition of lines and phrases throughout the ballad. The famous ballad "Lord Randall," with its repetition of the phrase "Lord Randall, my son" at the opening of each new stanza, is a classic example.
In contemporary times, ballads are more loosely defined (usually without the traditional form or structure) and are often closely associated with music. Folk musicians in particular have used the form to tell the story of contemporary injustices and heroes.