Roadblock
Janis Joplin And Big Brother And The Holding Co. Lyrics


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Hey! All right, all right, all right, all right!

Oh, ain't no problem
Carry no heavy load
Why can't I love you, baby?
You try to block my road.
I wish ya wouldn't do it.
Oh, better off to hand you
Everything I own, ha ha ha ha!
Strange to see you waiting for me,
You try to block my road
All the time.
Yeah, try to block my road
Please be mine!
Hey, hey, hey, hey.

Road block
Hit me with a roadblock
Come on a road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Ah! Road block
My, my, my, my, my, my, road block
Up ahead I see a roadblock
Up ahead I see a roadblock
Whoa, road block
Whoa, road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block
Road block

Oh, ain't no problem
Carry no heavy load
No, no!
Hey! why can't I love you, baby?
You try to block my road.
Why are you doin' it?
Yeah, try to block my road.
Try to block my




Road!
Lord! Road block!

Overall Meaning

The song Roadblock by Janis Joplin appears to be about a tumultuous and confusing relationship. The first stanza starts off with the lines "Oh, ain't no problem/ Carry no heavy load/ Why can't I love you, baby?/ You try to block my road." The singer seems to be expressing their love for the other person but feels they are being prevented from reaching their goal by their actions. The words "heavy load" could signify the emotional burden that might be weighing the singer down. Then the singer goes on to say "Oh, better off to hand you/ Everything I own, ha ha ha ha!/ Strange to see you waiting for me,/ You try to block my road/ All the time." These lines suggest that the singer may have given everything they have to the other person but they keep stopping them from moving ahead. The tone of the stanza seems to be filled with frustration and confusion as they cannot understand why the other person is trying to block their road.


The second stanza keeps repeating the words "roadblock" in different variations suggesting that the singer is almost obsessively fixated on the obstacle that's preventing them from reaching their goal. They wonder why the other person is trying to block their road and asks them to reconsider their actions.


Overall, the song seems to be about a relationship where one person makes it difficult for the other person to reach their goals or to move on from the relationship. It could be interpreted as a metaphor for life, where every person faces obstacles and roadblocks in their path that they must overcome.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey! All right, all right, all right, all right!
Janis Joplin is excited and ready to express her thoughts about someone trying to prevent her from achieving her desired goals.


Oh, ain't no problem
Janis Joplin is confident that she can overcome any challenge or obstacle in her path.


Carry no heavy load
Janis Joplin is expressing how she does not have any excess weight or problems weighing her down.


Why can't I love you, baby?
Janis Joplin is questioning someone she loves and cares about, asking why they are preventing her from loving them.


You try to block my road.
Janis Joplin is accusing someone of trying to prevent her from reaching her goals and standing in the way of her progress.


I wish ya wouldn't do it.
Janis Joplin is communicating her desire for the person hindering her progress to stop doing so, as it is not helpful and making things difficult for her.


Oh, better off to hand you Everything I own, ha ha ha ha!
Janis Joplin is sarcastically stating that she would rather give away all of her possessions to the person who is blocking her path, as they are more important to her than material possessions.


Strange to see you waiting for me,
Janis Joplin is intrigued and surprised to see the person who is trying to hinder her progress actively waiting for her.


All the time.
Janis Joplin is expressing her frustration that this person is constantly standing in her way no matter how frequently it happens.


Please be mine! Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Janis Joplin is still trying to pursue her romantic interest and is imploring that the person stop hindering her progress and reciprocate her feelings.


Road block
Janis Joplin is using the phrase 'road block' as a metaphor for the person who is blocking her progress and hindering her from achieving her goals.


Hit me with a roadblock
Janis Joplin is figuratively saying that the person is using a roadblock as a weapon against her progress.


Come on a road block
Janis Joplin is encouraging the person who is trying to prevent her progress to come forward and continue their hindrance in a more active manner.


Up ahead I see a roadblock
Janis Joplin is observing that she can see the obstacle in front of her and knows what is preventing her from moving ahead.


My, my, my, my, my, my, road block
Janis Joplin is emphasizing the severity of the obstacle in front of her in a humorous manner.


Why are you doin' it?
Janis Joplin is questioning the person who is stopping her of what their motivation is for doing so.


Yeah, try to block my road.
Janis Joplin is still accusing the person, saying that they are actively preventing her from moving forward, no matter what.


Try to block my Road!
Janis Joplin is putting emphasis on the main theme of the song - the person is actively blocking her progress and preventing her from achieving her goals.


Lord! Road block!
Janis Joplin is calling upon a higher power to help her overcome this obstacle, as it has become overwhelming and difficult to do so on her own.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@timpreston459

I have had one like to my question what Was “the very complicated reaction of the band to Janis”. Presumably they were split by the feeling on the one hand that she was a great addition to the band and brought them far more work and publicity but on the other hand she was getting most of the attention and the media and public were looking at them as if they were just her backing band which they resented since they had been a pretty successful outfit before she turned up on the scene. If you know better please make a comment because I would be interested to know

@timpreston459

“They had a very complicated reaction to her fame”. well yes what was it?

@blackrebelradio9879

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