Ball And Chain
Joplin (Janis) Lyrics

S-sitting down by my window,
Sitting alone with nothing but my thoughts, looking at the rain outside.

Oh, looking at the rain.
Lost in thought, contemplating the world and what it means.

S-sitting down by my window now now,
Repeating my actions, sitting alone with my thoughts, searching for clarity.

All around I felt it,
Feeling overwhelmed and lost in my own thoughts.

All I could see was the rain.
Feeling isolated and disconnected from the world around me, seeing only the darkness of my thoughts.

Something grabbed a hold of me, honey,
Suddenly feeling trapped and helpless, unable to escape my own thoughts and emotions.

Felt to me honey like, lord, a ball and chain.
Feeling weighed down and held back by my own doubts, fears, and insecurities.

Yeah! hey! you know what I mean,
Trying to communicate the intensity of my emotions, the feeling of being trapped and helpless.

But it's way too heavy for you,
Realizing that others may not understand or be able to help with my struggles.

You can't hold it tomorrow.
Recognizing that my struggles will continue and that there is no easy or immediate solution to the pain I'm feeling.

Say, whoa, whoa, honey, it can't be
Expressing confusion and disbelief at the intensity of my own emotions.

Just because I got to want your love
Acknowledging that my struggles are rooted in my need for love, acceptance, and validation.

Please please please please, whoa please, please.
Begging for help and understanding, desperate for someone to alleviate my pain.

Whoa, honey it can't be
Trying to convince myself that my emotions aren't as intense as they feel.

Just because I got to need you daddy.
Admitting my dependence on others for emotional support and validation.

Please don't you let me down, no, please, lord!
Desperately asking for someone to be there for me, to help me through my struggles.

Here you gone today, but I wanted to love you,
Feeling abandoned and alone, struggling to find a way to connect with others and find meaning in my own life.

I wanted to hold you, yeah, till the day I die,
Craving intimacy and connection with others, seeking a source of comfort and validation.

Till the day, till the day,
Dreaming of a future where I'm able to find love, acceptance, and validation from others.

Yeah! hey! hey! all right!
Expressing a sense of hope and optimism, despite the pain I'm feeling.

Say, whoa, whoa, honey this can't be
Continuing to struggle with my own emotions, feeling trapped and unsure of how to escape my own pain.

Not anything I ever wanted from you daddy
Realizing that my search for love and validation has come at a significant cost, that I'm not finding the fulfillment I thought I would.

Tell me now, now, now, now, oh, tell me now, yeah.
Begging for clarity and understanding, desperate to find some way out of my own pain.

I say, whoa, whoa, honey this can't be
Continuing to grapple with the intensity of my emotions, trying to come to terms with the pain I'm feeling.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no yeah yeah, hey!
Frustrated with my own struggles, feeling trapped and helpless in my own pain.

And I want someone that could tell me, tell me why
Seeking guidance and support from others, wishing that someone could offer me some kind of explanation for my struggles.

Honey, just because I got to need, need, need your love
Admitting my emotional dependence on others, recognizing that my feelings of isolation and pain stem from my need for love and acceptance.

I said I don't understand, honey, but I wanna chance to try
Admitting my confusion and uncertainty, but still seeking a way to find connection and meaning in my life.

Honey when everybody in the world wants the same damn thing
Recognizing that I'm not alone in my struggles, that other people are also searching for love, acceptance, and validation.

When everybody in the world will need the same lonely thing
Feeling isolated and alone, despite knowing that others are also struggling with similar issues.

When I wanna work for your love, daddy.
Acknowledging my willingness to put in the effort and work required to find love and acceptance, but also recognizing that these things are not always within my control.

When I wanna try for your love, daddy.
Expressing a desire to be loved and accepted, to find meaning and connection in my own life.

I don't understand how come you're gone, man.
Feeling lost and confused, unsure of how to move forward after experiencing loss.

I don't understand why half the World is still crying, man, when the other half of the world is still
Recognizing the pain and suffering that exists in the world, wondering why we continue to struggle when there is so much suffering around us.

Crying too, man, I can't get it together.
Feeling powerless and helpless in the face of the overwhelming pain and suffering in the world.

If you got a cat for one day, man I mean, if you, say, say, if you want a Cat for 365 days, right you aint got him for 365 days, you got him for one
Reflecting on the transitory nature of life, recognizing that we only have a limited amount of time to experience what the world has to offer.

Day, man. well I tell you that one da
Reminding myself of the importance of making the most of each and every moment, of living in the present and valuing what we have while we still have it.

N, better be your life, man.
Recognizing that life is short and precious, and that we must make the most of every moment if we hope to find meaning and fulfillment.

because, you know, you can say, oh man, you
Reflecting on the fleeting nature of life, and how we can too easily waste our time and energy on things that ultimately don't matter.

Can cry about the other 364, man, but you're gonna lose that one day, man,
Acknowledging that we must avoid becoming bogged down in the pain and struggles of everyday life, and instead focus on what truly matters in order to make the most of our time on this earth.

And that's all you've got. you gotta call that, man.
Encouraging myself to focus on the present moment and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way.

That's what it is, man. if you got it today you don't want it
Recognizing that our desires and needs can change over time, that what we wanted yesterday may not be what we want today.

Tomorrow, man, cause you don't need it, 'cause as a matter of fact, as we
Acknowledging that our wants and needs are always changing, and that we must be willing to adapt and change with them in order to find fulfillment and happiness in our lives.

Discovered in the train, tomorrow never happens, m
Reflecting on the transitory nature of life, and the importance of living in the present rather than constantly worrying about the future.

Ts all the same fucking day, man.
Recognizing that every day is a new opportunity to make the most of our time, to find meaning and fulfillment in our lives.

So you gotta, when you wanna hold a sigh,
Encouraging myself to approach every moment with a sense of urgency, to hold onto the things that matter most to me and not take them for granted.

You gotta hold him like it's the last minute in your life, baby.
Encouraging myself to cherish every moment, to hold onto the things that matter most to me and not let them slip away.

You gotta hold, whoa, whoa, hold him
Encouraging myself to hold on tightly to what I love and cherish, to not let go no matter what happens.

'Cause someday some weights gonna come on your shoulders, babe,
Recognizing that life is unpredictable, that there will always be challenges and struggles that we must navigate.

It's gonna feel too heavy, it's gonna weigh on you,
Acknowledging that the challenges of life can feel like a burden, that they can be overwhelming and difficult to overcome.

It's gonna feel just like a ball, ball, ball, oh daddy,
Recognizing that the struggles of life can feel like a heavy weight that is difficult to bear, that can weigh us down and hold us back.

And a chain.
Comparing the struggles of life to a ball and chain, emphasizing the feeling of being trapped and held back by our own doubts, fears, and insecurities.