The band was founded after both Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi put their solo bands on hiatus to form a new group that lets the married couple focus on making music together, and allows them to spend more time together while touring and recording. Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi have toured together in 2007, under the name Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi's Soul Stew Revival, however this group's material was largely culled from Derek & Susan's solo projects, while the Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band mostly focuses on performing original songs.
After the announcement in late 2009 of a hiatus for both The Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi Band , the couple began writing new material, working out of their home studio in Jacksonville with a rotating cast of friends and musicians. Their first concert was on April 1, 2010 at the Savannah Music Festival, and although their touring schedule was limited in 2010, the group did perform at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival, Fuji Rock Festival, and several other festivals and venues.
The collaboration between Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi has also extended to other artists. Trucks and Tedeschi appeared together on Herbie Hancock's album, The Imagine Project, performing the track "Space Captain" with additional members of Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, including Oteil Burbridge, Kofi Burbridge, and Mike Mattison. A music video was also released, showing Herbie Hancock as he recorded the song at Trucks & Tedeschi's home studio. Trucks and Tedeschi also appeared with Herbie Hancock to perform "Space Captain" at his 70th birthday concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
On 7 March 2011, the band announced that it was changing its name to the Tedeschi Trucks Band. The first Tedeschi Trucks Band CD, Revelator, will be released on June 7th 2011.
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Ball and Chain
Tedeschi Trucks Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, we prayed for mud
To the low ground of yesterday
Comes the flood
I'm so lucky
My pride and joy
Is my ball and chain
Thought I was bound to get away
Now I'm just bound
I don't mind when the hurricane
Comes around
I'm so lucky
My pride and joy
Is my ball and chain
And they're one and the same
I'm so lucky
My pride and joy
Is my ball and chain
I'm so lucky
My pride and joy
Is my ball and chain
And they're one and the same
I'm so lucky
My pride and joy
Is my ball and chain
And they're one and the same
My ball and chain
And they're one and the same
Ball and chain
One and the same
Ball and chain
The lyrics to Tedeschi Trucks Band's song Ball and Chain are imbued with themes of resilience, gratitude, and the paradoxes within our human experience. The opening lines, "Hallelujah, we got some rain, Yeah, we prayed for mud, To the low ground of yesterday, Comes the flood," speak to the idea that sometimes good things have to come out of bad situations. Rain can be a blessing after a drought, and sometimes when we're at our lowest point, breakthroughs can occur. The "flood" in this case may symbolize a new opportunity or perspective that arises from difficulty.
The most intriguing lines of the song, "Thought I was bound to get away, Now I'm just bound, I don't mind when the hurricane, Comes around," seem to explore the idea that often, the things we think are holding us back actually provide us with stability and grounding. Sometimes our "ball and chain" can be a literal or metaphorical burden, but in the case of the songwriter, it's both their "pride and joy" as well. The repetition of the phrase "I'm so lucky, My pride and joy, Is my ball and chain, And they're one and the same" reinforces this sentiment that what has been perceived as a negative force in their life is also what keeps them rooted and secure.
Overall, the song seems to encourage finding the good even in difficult circumstances and embracing both the challenges and the comfort that exist in our lives. The metaphor of the ball and chain takes on new meaning when seen through this lens, and the powerful gospel-inspired music only adds to the weight of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Hallelujah, we got some rain
Thankfully, it has rained
Yeah, we prayed for mud
We hoped for mud instead of dust
To the low ground of yesterday
Yesterday's lowest points
Comes the flood
Is now flooded
I'm so lucky
I'm fortunate
My pride and joy
My most cherished possession
Is my ball and chain
Is my burden
And they're one and the same
They're identical
Thought I was bound to get away
I believed I was destined to escape
Now I'm just bound
Now I'm confined
I don't mind when the hurricane
I'm not troubled by the hurricane
Comes around
Arrives
My ball and chain
My burden
And they're one and the same
They're identical
Ball and chain
Burden
One and the same
Identical
Ball and chain
Burden
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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