Ball And Chain
Fult Tilt Boogie Band Lyrics


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Sitting down by my window
Honey, looking out at the rain
Sitting down by my window, looking out at the rain
All around that I felt it
All I can see was the rain
Something grabbed a hold of me
Feel to me, oh, like a ball and chain
Hey, you know what I mean that's exactly what it felt like
But that's way too heavy for you, you can't hold them all

And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, oh, that cannot be
Just because I got oh, your love, please
Why does every
Oh, this can't be just because I got to need you, daddy
Please don't you knock it down now, please
Here you've gone today
What I wanted to love you and I wanted to hold you, yeah, till the day I die
Yes, I did, yes, I did, yeah, hey, hey, alright

Say, whoa, whoa, whoa, honey
This can't be anything I've ever wanted from your daddy tell me now
Oh, tell me, baby
Oh, say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, honey
This can't be, no, no, no, no, no
Yeah, yeah
I hope there's someone out there who could tell me
Tell me why just because I got to want your love
Honey, just because I got to need, need, need, need your love
I said I understand
Honey, what I'm wanna trying to say hi
Trying, try, try, try, try, try, try
Honey, everybody in the world, also same, baby
When everybody in the world what needs, seem lonely
What I wanted work for your love, daddy
What I wanted trust your love, daddy
I din't understand how come you're gone
I don't understand why half the world is still crying, man
And the other half of the world is still crying too, man
I can't get it together
I mean if you go to ? Oneday, man
I mean, so baby, you want ? Three and sixty five days, right
You ain't gonna within sixty five days, you gonna for one day, man
I tell you, that one day, man, better be your life, man
Because you know, you can stay oh man, you can cry about the other three and sixty four, man I said whoa, whoa, whoa
But you gonna lose that one day, man
That's all you got, you got to call it love, man
That's what it is, man
If you got today, you don't worry about tomorrow, man
Because you don't need it
Because the matter of the fact, as we discovered tat's rain, tomorrow never happens, man
It's all the same fucking day, man

So you gotta when you want to hold someone
You gotta hold them like it's the last minutes of your life
You gotta hold, hold, hold and I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now babe, tell me why
Hold, baby, 'cause some come on your shoulder, baby
It's gonna feel too heavy, it's gonna weigh on you why does every thing, every thing




It's gonna feel just like a ball
Oh, daddy and a chain

Overall Meaning

The song "Ball and Chain" by the Full Tilt Boogie Band is about the feeling of being trapped in a relationship, like a ball and chain. The lyrics begin with the singer looking out of the window at the rain, feeling isolated from the world, only to be weighed down further by this ball and chain feeling. The singer cries out for answers, wanting to know why he still needs the love of someone who makes him feel imprisoned. He implores the listeners to hold on tightly to the ones they love, as if it's the last moments of their life, and to not worry about tomorrow, as it may never come.


The song has a strong bluesy feel, with a heavy bass, guitar, and drums providing the beat. Janis Joplin, who was the lead singer of the Full Tilt Boogie Band, delivers a powerful performance, with her raspy voice adding to the intensity of the song. The feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness are palpable in her voice, making the song incredibly emotional.


Overall, "Ball and Chain" is a poignant exploration of the struggles of being in a toxic relationship, and the pain that comes with it.


Line by Line Meaning

Sitting down by my window
I am sitting by the window and contemplating


Honey, looking out at the rain
I am staring outside my window and watching the rain fall


Sitting down by my window, looking out at the rain
I am lost in thought, contemplating my feelings whilst watching the rain fall


All around that I felt it
I sensed that something was coming


All I can see was the rain
The downpour is all I can see


Something grabbed a hold of me
I felt something physically take hold of me


Feel to me, oh, like a ball and chain
The sensation was as though I was being dragged down by a heavy object, similar to a ball and chain


Hey, you know what I mean that's exactly what it felt like
The feeling was so overwhelming that it's hard to describe it any other way


But that's way too heavy for you, you can't hold them all
The weight of the emotions is too much for any one person to bear entirely


Just because I got oh, your love, please
The feeling of being weighed down is not solely caused by love


Why does every
Why does everything become so heavy?


Oh, this can't be just because I got to need you, daddy
Surely this feeling is not solely caused by my dependence on you


Please don't you knock it down now, please
Please don't dismiss my feelings


Here you've gone today
You left me alone today


What I wanted to love you and I wanted to hold you, yeah, till the day I die
I want to devote my life to loving and holding you


Say, whoa, whoa, whoa, honey
An exclamation to emphasize the emotional turmoil


This can't be anything I've ever wanted from your daddy tell me now
This is not what I expected or desired from you


Oh, say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, honey
Again, indicating the intensity of the mixed emotions


This can't be, no, no, no, no, no
This cannot be happening


I hope there's someone out there who could tell me
I hope somebody can help me understand what's going on


Tell me why just because I got to want your love
Why does desiring your love have this effect on me?


Honey, just because I got to need, need, need, need your love
My need for your love is overwhelming


I said I understand
I thought I understood


Honey, what I'm wanna trying to say hi
What I am trying to convey is...


Trying, try, try, try, try, try, try
I am struggling to express myself


Honey, everybody in the world, also same, baby
I'm not the only one in the world who feels this way


When everybody in the world what needs, seem lonely
Despite the fact that we all feel lonely and in need of love


What I wanted work for your love, daddy
I want to work for your love, earn it if necessary


What I wanted trust your love, daddy
I want to trust that your love is real


I din't understand how come you're gone
I don't understand why you're gone


I don't understand why half the world is still crying, man
I don't understand why so many people in the world are still unhappy


And the other half of the world is still crying too, man
As if to say 'the other half not crying yet are likely to soon'


I can't get it together
I'm having trouble pulling myself back together


I mean if you go to ? Oneday, man
If you live all the days except one


I mean, so baby, you want ? Three and sixty five days, right
You want to live these 365 days


You ain't gonna within sixty five days, you gonna for one day, man
You won't spend all 365 days at once; there is only one day at hand right now


I tell you, that one day, man, better be your life, man
That one day better be all the life you have and you should make it count


Because you know, you can stay oh man, you can cry about the other three and sixty four, man
You can keep crying or moping the other 364 days of the year


But you gonna lose that one day, man
But don't let it affect the one day you've got


That's all you got, you got to call it love, man
That's all you've got--you have to call it love


If you got today, you don't worry about tomorrow, man
It's okay not to worry about tomorrow, because you have today


Because you don't need it
You don't need tomorrow; all you have is today


Because the matter of the fact, as we discovered tat's rain, tomorrow never happens, man
The truth is that tomorrow is always uncertain, as we can never predict the future


It's all the same fucking day, man
Every day feels the same when you're in emotional pain


So you gotta when you want to hold someone
When you care about someone and want to keep them close


You gotta hold them like it's the last minutes of your life
You need to hold them as if you may never get to hold them again


Hold, baby, 'cause some come on your shoulder, baby
Hold them, because they may need someone to lean on


It's gonna feel too heavy, it's gonna weigh on you why does every thing, every thing
It may feel burdensome, but that's the nature of love


It's gonna feel just like a ball
The weight of emotions can feel like a heavy object


Oh, daddy and a chain
A ball and chain--a burden that can feel impossible to escape from




Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: WILLIE MAE THORNTON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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