Ball And Chain
Janis Joplin and Big Brothers Lyrics

Sitting down by my window
Janis Joplin is by the window, looking outside.

Honey, looking out at the rain
Janis Joplin is affectionately calling out to someone while she looks at the rain.

Sitting down by my window, looking out at the rain
Janis Joplin is just sitting there, staring at the rain outside.

All around that I felt it
She felt something, but is not clear what it is.

All I can see was the rain
All that Janis Joplin can see is the rain outside the window.

Something grabbed a hold of me
Something grabbed Janis Joplin's attention or emotions.

Feel to me, oh, like a ball and chain
Whatever it is that grabbed her feels as heavy as a ball and chain, something burdensome that she has to carry.

Hey, you know what I mean that's exactly what it felt like
Janis Joplin is specifically addressing someone who she feels might relate to her burden.

But that's way too heavy for you, you can't hold them all
Janis Joplin reassures the other person that they don't have to take on her burden, as it would be too much for them.

And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, oh, that cannot be
Janis Joplin is expressing confusion about something.

Just because I got oh, your love, please
Janis Joplin is questioning what's happening, wondering if she's going through this difficulty because of her love for someone else.

Why does every
Janis Joplin is starting to ask why certain things are happening to her.

Oh, this can't be just because I got to need you, daddy
Janis Joplin is questioning if she is going through what she is going through because of her dependency on someone named Daddy.

Please don't you knock it down now, please
Janis Joplin is asking Daddy not to undermine her.

Here you've gone today
Daddy is gone today and Janis Joplin is confused about his absence.

What I wanted to love you and I wanted to hold you, yeah, till the day I die
Janis Joplin had strong feelings of love and devotion for Daddy, enough to last her lifetime.

Yes, I did, yes, I did, yeah, hey, hey, alright
Janis Joplin is affirming that she did indeed love and want to hold Daddy.

Say, whoa, whoa, whoa, honey
Janis Joplin is starting to try and articulate something that she finds distressing.

This can't be anything I've ever wanted from your daddy tell me now
She is questioning if the current situation is something that she ever expected from Daddy, and requesting an explanation.

Oh, tell me, baby
Janis Joplin has affectionately called Daddy 'baby' and is asking for an explanation or clarification.

Oh, say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, honey
Janis Joplin is repeating herself, still trying to clarify what her experience has been and seeking answers.

This can't be, no, no, no, no, no
Janis Joplin is saying that whatever is happening cannot be what she wants or needs.

Yeah, yeah
Janis Joplin is interjecting some emphasis.

I hope there's someone out there who could tell me
Janis Joplin is feeling lost and seeking support or guidance from others.

Tell me why just because I got to want your love
Janis Joplin feels like her wanting to be loved is causing her pain and is seeking for the reason.

Honey, just because I got to need, need, need, need your love
Janis Joplin is emphasizing that she needs Daddy's love.

I said I understand
Janis Joplin is expressing an understanding of something.

Honey, what I'm wanna trying to say hi
Janis Joplin is trying to articulate something that she may be nervous or hesitant about saying.

Trying, try, try, try, try, try, try
Janis Joplin is trying to emphasize how hard she is trying to say something - stuttering in her speech.

Honey, everybody in the world, also same, baby
Janis Joplin is suggesting that her experience is shared by everyone else and not unique.

When everybody in the world what needs, seem lonely
Janis Joplin is suggesting that everyone in the world who needs love feels lonely without it.

What I wanted work for your love, daddy
Janis Joplin seemed to be working hard for Daddy's love.

What I wanted trust your love, daddy
She also seems to be expecting that Daddy loves her back.

I din't understand how come you're gone
The fact that Daddy is gone bewilders Janis Joplin.

I don't understand why half the world is still crying, man
Janis Joplin is questioning why there is so much pain and sadness in the world.

And the other half of the world is still crying too, man
Despite there being joy and happiness in the world, there is still a lot of sadness.

I can't get it together
Janis Joplin is struggling to pull herself together because of the pain she's feeling.

I mean if you go to ? Oneday, man
The following lines seem to be disjointed, but Janis Joplin may be suggesting that the pain of loss is overwhelming, and it's best to embrace life despite it.

I mean, so baby, you want ? Three and sixty five days, right
Janis Joplin is suggesting that people want more time. 'Three and sixty-five days' is confusing but may refer to a full year.

You ain't gonna within sixty five days, you gonna for one day, man
Janis Joplin is saying that no matter how much people want more time, all they have is one day, so they should embrace it.

I tell you, that one day, man, better be your life, man
That one day should count, and people should live it to the fullest as if it were their whole life.

Because you know, you can stay oh man, you can cry about the other three and sixty four, man
People can spend the rest of the year crying and feeling empty.

I said whoa, whoa, whoa
Janis Joplin is bringing the focus back to her own pain.

But you gonna lose that one day, man
Despite only having one day, people can still lose it if they don't live it to the fullest.

That's all you got, you got to call it love, man
Love is the only thing that really matters and people should focus on it to make the most of their lives.

That's what it is, man
Love is the answer to everything.

If you got today, you don't worry about tomorrow, man
We should stop worrying about the future and live in the present.

Because you don't need it
The future may never come - we don't need to worry about it.

Because the matter of the fact, as we discovered tat's rain, tomorrow never happens, man
Janis Joplin is saying that tomorrow never really comes - it's only ever 'rain', a form of waiting or preparation for something that may never happen.

It's all the same fucking day, man
Every day is the same - just a series of rain or preparation before it ends.

So you gotta when you want to hold someone
Closing lines seem initially disconnected but seem to emphasize the importance of love again.

You gotta hold them like it's the last minutes of your life
We should cherish the moments we have with the people we love, as if it was our last with them.

You gotta hold, hold, hold and I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now babe, tell me why
Janis Joplin is asking again why she is going through what she is going through and perhaps making an appeal for support and understanding.

Hold, baby, 'cause some come on your shoulder, baby
Janis Joplin is trying to reassure herself to keep holding on despite the weight on her shoulder.

It's gonna feel too heavy, it's gonna weigh on you why does every thing, every thing
She acknowledges that it will be hard to hold on and is wondering why everything feels heavy at the moment.

It's gonna feel just like a ball
Janis Joplin acknowledges the heaviness of the thing she's carrying, likening it to a ball that she has to carry around.

Oh, daddy and a chain
She is calling out to Daddy again and the image of the ball is turning into a chain, showing that she's trapped and needs help to be released from her burden.