The modern song i chose for my ballad was Alligator Pie by the Dave Matthews Band. The type of folk ballad this song covers is tragic accidents and sudden disaster. The song first comes of as Dave talking about how his youngest daughter wonders when her name is gonna be used in a song, her name is Stella. Dave repeatedly uses the name Grace which is the name of his oldest daughter. Once you get past that meaning of the song, the actual ballad its referring to is the disaster of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. He explains how the first night the water rised, the second day the sun is high and shows the destruction that the floods have caused. Finally the third day Stella cries because the night is as dark as the dead man's eyes, which is a pun saying rescue never came after 3 days had past and they were on the verge of dying themselves. This song characterizes a true event with Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it left in New Orleans. It tells a story of a father and daughter trying to survive and uses the refrain of asking when help is gonna come, when will grace return.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21mfogxzzr4
Dave Matthews Band ~ Alligator Pie
Floatin' in the lower nine
Waitin' for a boat to throw me a line
See my Stella smile
Sittin' on a roof eatin' alligator pie
First day the water rise
Second day the sun is high
Third day Stella cries
'Cause night time's dark as a dead man's eyes
Lord
Tell me when help is gonna come
Stella said Daddy when you gonna put me in a song
Storm went right on by
Thanked the Lord everybody's alright
Don't mean to throw off a second line
But the devil broke the levee and left us here to die
Stella said Daddy when you gonna put me in a song
Need a dance hall to get y'all down
Need a dance hall to get y'all down
All the things we know and
Everything we hope for
All the things we wanted
Everything that was sure
Now there is a scar where
The old men used to be
The corner store and market
Where Stella used to sing to me
Grace is all I'm asking
When will grace return
Grace is all I'm asking
Remember how it feels
Lazy days in the summertime
Then my Stella smiled
Stella said Daddy when you gonna put me in a song
