Commentary
This ballad begins: 'Her vows of love / They seem'd to prove, / Most faithful unto me, / But now I've found / Which doth me wound / In them no constancy.' Broadsides were often used as vehicles for didactic or moral messages. The sheets reached a wide and varied audience as they were cheap and readily available. This ballad laments on inconstancy and betrayal. Broadsides are often considered to be the forerunners of newspapers but, given the drama and hyperbole used here, they may also have been the earlier equivalent of today's Oprah or Jerry Springer television-counselling shows! 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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