Ballad. A narrative poem of strongly marked rhythm suitable for singing.
My oldest brother brought one of these home from camp. He brought dozens of stories and even a songbook home also. The ones my other brother and I latched on to were the silly ones. You know the type – the ones your mother finds you singing or reciting and walks away shaking her head.
I’ve not happened upon this one again. So let me introduce you to the theme contained in Johnny LeBec.
In the first verse and chorus we are introduced to Johnny LeBec, the owner of a wonderful sausage machine.
In the second verse “all the neighbors cats and dogs disappear” and we have a chorus about the wonderful sausage machine.
In the third verse Johnny is fixing his sausage machine late one night when his wife begins sleepwalking. No chorus is necessary.
Are all the parents reading this shaking their heads is dismay?