Mr.+B's+Ballad

I wrote this song as a eulogy for my father's funeral. Later, I realized that it was a pretty good example of the ballad form. It uses a regular pattern of rhyme and meter, it tells a story (my dad's), and it includes a refrain.

Song for my Father (1998) By Jim Bulleit

My dad dreamed of being a jazzman, Playing drums in a traveling big band. It seemed a strange dream for a grown man, But I think now that I understand.

I never knew what he was thinking; He’d go off to his own private place. Then the trumpets would blast from the basement. He’d return with a smile on his face.

He’d slap the rhythms on his knees, Close his eyes as he sang along. I once thought he looked a bit foolish, But I think he was writing this song.

My dad spent his youth in a small town, Where the dreams are all bigger than life. But his dream couldn’t stand the oppression Of two wars and the loss of a wife.

So he packed up and moved to the city, And he landed a job as a clerk, Where an adding machine’s tick was his music, And his dreams could be drowned out with work.

Still he slapped the rhythms on his knees, Closed he eyes as he sang along, And maybe he felt a bit foolish, But I think he was writing this song.

He married again for a lifetime; He knew this time that he’d found the one. But the old dream was never extinguished; You see he passed it on down to his son.

He had a hard time with the drinking When the pressures grew too great to bear. There were times when I felt myself shrinking, And I wished that I just wasn’t there.

So I slapped the rhythms on my knees, Closed my eyes as I sang along. I felt just a little bit foolish, But I know I was writing this song.

My dad’s died and gone to his maker, Maybe paid for mistakes that he made. But the dream that he had survived him; It’s been with me each song I played.

We both slapped the rhythms on our knees, Closed our eyes as we sang along. We may have both felt a bit foolish, But together we were writing this song. And maybe it seems a bit foolish, But I hope, Dad, you’re hearing this song.