album cover
artist
Big Brother & The Holding Company & Janis Joplin
Ball and Chain
497,292
Rock
Ball and Chain was released on August 31, 1999 by Columbia/Legacy as a part of the album Box Of Pearls
album cover
Most Popular
Past 7 Days
00:45 - 00:50
Ball and Chain was discovered most frequently at around 45 seconds into the song during the past week
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OVERVIEW

LYRICS

Music Video

Music Video

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Big Brother & The Holding Company
Big Brother & The Holding Company
Performer
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Vocals
P. Albin
P. Albin
Bass
Sam Houston Andrew III
Sam Houston Andrew III
Guitar
James Gurley
James Gurley
Guitar
Dave Getz
Dave Getz
Drums
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Big Mama Thornton
Big Mama Thornton
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Engineer
James Gurley
James Gurley
Engineer
John Simon
John Simon
Producer
Fred Catero
Fred Catero
Engineer
Jerry Hochman
Jerry Hochman
Engineer
Roy Segal
Roy Segal
Engineer

Lyrics

Sittin' down by my window
Honey, lookin' out at the rain
Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin' down by my window
Baby, lookin' out at the rain
Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me
And it felt just like a ball and chain
Honey, that's exactly what it felt like
Honey, just dragging me down
And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now hon', tell me why
Why does every single little tiny thing I hold on goes wrong?
Yeah it all goes wrong, yeah
And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now babe, tell me why
Why does every thing, every thing
Hey, here you gone today, I wanted to love you
Honey, I just wanted to hold you, I said, for so long
Yeah! Alright! Hey!
Love's got a hold on me, baby
Feels just like a ball and chain
Now, love's just draggin' me down, baby, yeah
Feels like a ball and chain
I hope there's someone out there who could tell me
Why the man I love wanna leave me in so much pain
Yeah, maybe, maybe you could help me, come on, help me!
And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, now hon', tell me why
Now tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me why, yeah
And I say, oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, when I ask you
When I need to know why, c'mon tell me why, hey hey hey
Here you've gone today
I wanted to love you and hold you
Till the day I die
I said whoa, whoa, whoa!
And I say oh, whoa, whoa, no honey
It ain't fair, daddy it ain't fair what you do
I see what you're doin' to me and you know it ain't fair
And I say oh, whoa whoa now baby
It ain't fair, now, now, now, what you do
I said hon' it ain't fair what, hon' it ain't fair what you do
Oh, here you gone today and all I ever wanted to do
Was to love you
Honey an' I think there can be nothing wrong with that
Only it ain't wrong, no, no, no, no, no
Sittin' down by my window
Lookin' at the rain
Lord, Lord, Lord, sittin' down by my window
Lookin' at the rain, see the rain
Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me
And it felt like a ball and chain
Oh this can't be in vain
And I'm gonna tell you one just more time, yeah, yeah!
And I say oh, whoa whoa, now baby
This can't be, no this can't be in vain
And I say no no no no no no no no, whoa!
And I say whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Now now now now now now now now now no no not in vain
Hey, hope there is someone that could tell me
Hon', tell me why
Hon', tell me why love is like
Just like a ball
Just like a ball
Baaaaaaalllll
Oh daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy
And a chain
Yeah!
Written by: Big Mama Thornton

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