Now wait a minute. Pretend for a moment that it's 1550 AD or 1650 or 1750. It's cold, the winds blasts right through the house, nights seem interminable, and there's no TV. Sex is problematic because there's very little privacy.

What better thing to do than to gather round the fire and sing long songs lampooning the so-called upper classes? It's even better if a song has a refrain so everybody can join in.

That's what ballads were all about.