Commentary
This ballad begins: 'Be valiant still, be valiant still, / Be stout and great, and valiant still'. The text preceding the ballad reads: 'A NEW SONG / Much in request. / Being the Advice of an experienced Lady in Martial Affairs, to her Lover a young Soldier. / Tune of, An old Carle to dannten me.' In a T.V and radio-less society singing and sporting together was one of the few forms of entertainment. These sheets were supposed to be shared amongst a wide audience, being cheap to buy and often stuck onto walls. As a result competition for sales could be fierce. This is reflected here in the fact that 'A New Song' has a bigger and bolder type than the title of the piece. Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse.
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