In the 1980s, Setzer fronted the popular rockabilly band, Stray Cats. Stray Cats caught America's attention with the 1982 album Built for Speed, which included the two Top Ten hits, Rock This Town (#9) and Stray Cat Strut (#3), as well as with the follow-up 1983 album Rant N Rave, which included the two successful singles (She's) Sexy + 17 (#5), and I Won't Stand In Your Way (#35).
In the 1990s, Setzer led a comeback of sorts for swing music and big band music, when he formed Brian Setzer Orchestra. The band has released 5 albums to date and one live DVD. This group had one hit, Jump, Jive, and Wail around the same time songs like the Cherry Poppin' Daddies Zoot Suit Riot had been received favorably in mainstream America.
Brian Setzer also recorded some solo albums during Stray Cats' break in the 1980s along with some in the 1990s. In 2001 he released an album titled Ignition with his band '68 Comeback Special. A new solo album titled Rockabilly Riot Vol. 1: A Tribute To Sun Records was released on July 26, 2005, in the United States.
Massapequa
Ball And Chain
Brian Setzer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know when you're comin' home
Change your mind just like the weather
And I don't know if I'm ever gonna
Break this ball and chain
And to you our love is just a little game
Now there's a fine line between
You love me like a ball and chain
When I called up information
Tryin' to pinpoint a location
When I find out unexpected
That your nunber's disconnected
Oh I got to break this ball and chain
And to you our love is just a little game
Now there's a fine line between
Pleasure and pain
You love me like a ball and chain
I spent all my money
On a big shiny car
I spent all my time
In the back of a bar
Drivin down the highway
But I never get far
Keepin up with you baby's
Like chasin a star
Never call when you're out late
I don't know when you're comin' home
Change your mind just like the weather
And I don't know if I'm ever gonna
Break this ball and chain
And to you our love is just a little game
Now there's a fine line between
Pleasure and pain
You love me like a ball and chain
There's a fine line between
Pleasure and pain
Love me like a ball and chain
There's a fine line between
Pleasure and pain
Love me like a ball and chain.
The lyrics to Brian Setzer's "Ball and Chain" speak to the tumultuous nature of a relationship where one partner, the singer, is feeling trapped and controlled by the other partner. The first verse highlights the unpredictability of the other partner's behavior and the singer's uncertainty about the future of their relationship. The chorus emphasizes the idea that for the other partner, the relationship is just a game, where they love the singer but also keep them tied up like a ball and chain.
The second verse focuses on the singer's efforts to try and locate the other partner, but ultimately realizing that they have been disconnected. This could be seen as a metaphor for the disconnection and distance between the two partners. The third verse highlights the singer's frustration and feeling of being stuck chasing after the other partner, while also feeling like they are getting nowhere.
Overall, the song speaks to the idea of being trapped and controlled in a relationship, where one partner is not fully invested and is just in it for the pleasure and distraction it brings. The title of the song "Ball and Chain" symbolizes the weight and burden the singer feels in this relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Never call when you're out late
You never tell me when you'll be home, leaving me to wonder and worry.
I don't know when you're comin' home
I'm always left in the dark about your whereabouts and schedule.
Change your mind just like the weather
Your feelings for me are always uncertain and unpredictable.
And I don't know if I'm ever gonna
I'm unsure if we will ever be able to overcome our problems and be happy together.
Break this ball and chain
I need to free myself from this toxic relationship that weighs me down.
And to you our love is just a little game
You don't take our relationship seriously and treat it as a casual fling.
Now there's a fine line between
There's a delicate balance between
Pleasure and pain
The emotions of happiness and sadness or hurt.
You love me like a ball and chain
You keep me trapped and unable to move on from this relationship.
When I called up information
I sought help in finding you.
Tryin' to pinpoint a location
I needed to know where you were, so I could find you.
When I find out unexpected
I was taken aback by what I discovered.
That your nunber's disconnected
You changed your number without telling me, cutting off one of our lines of communication.
Oh I got to break this ball and chain
I'm determined to end our relationship and move on, no matter how difficult it may be.
I spent all my money
I used up all my resources
On a big shiny car
Investing in material possessions that bring me no true happiness.
I spent all my time
I wasted all my moments
In the back of a bar
Engaging in unhealthy habits that don't benefit me or our relationship.
Drivin down the highway
I'm trying to escape the problems and worries associated with our relationship.
But I never get far
I can never truly escape, since I'm still weighed down by our issues and feelings for each other.
Keepin up with you baby's
Trying to stay in sync with you and your ever-changing emotions and behaviors.
Like chasin a star
It feels impossible and futile, like chasing something that's always just out of reach and unattainable.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN SETZER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind