Story Behind The Song
The Balladeer tells the story of a country music fan and his respect for the songwriters and their songs that have had such an impact on him in his lifetime. As we lose these musical legends over time, he laments the fact that "a part of us goes too".
| Song Length |
4:09 |
Genre |
Country - Traditional, Country - Americana |
| Tempo |
Slow (71 - 90) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
| Mood |
Moving, Peaceful |
Subject |
Sorrow, Loneliness |
| Similar Artists |
John Prine, Townes Van Zant |
Era |
2000 and later |
Lyrics
THE BALLADEER
Mark Patterson
Copyright 2020
He was ten years out of Huntsville
I was wrangling at the stockyard
He had songs you'd swear you lived through
And they all had a common theme
Between the headlights and the footlights
His face reads like a road map
But with a voice like vintage leather
Every night he is redeemed
Chorus:
I close my eyes and the balladeer
Sets my mind to wonderin'
How could such a simple song
Run your heart right through?
I tip my hat to the troubadours
For the soundtrack of a lifetime
Once they're gone, well brother
A part of us goes too
Let him play on your heart strings
Let the words turn to tear drops
Then tell me you can't feel the weight
Of that mournful serenade
I'm not sure even he knows
Just how deep the scars run
But they're as deep as the desolation
That's a balladeer's stock in trade
(Chorus)
When the big wheels they stop turning
And the rails have rusted over
When the black top's just a distant dream
And all the angels have flown
There'll be nothing to swap your soul for
And no one to ask the question
How could a man be so loved
Yet feel so all alone?
(CHORUS)