Ball And Chain

Album: Once Again (1971)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Not to be confused with the Big Mama Thornton song "Ball 'N' Chain", this Stuart Wolstenholme composition runs 4:49 and is the third track on Side 2 of the Once Again album, which was released in the UK on February 5, 1971.

    It features a distorted lead vocal effected by singing through a paper cup with the bottom pushed out. The album was apparently recorded in some haste so that one verse was accidentally sung twice, there was no time to re-record it, and the missing verse was apparently lost forever, but appears in the official biography of the band.

    If I could live my whole life again
    I would not be on this prison train
    And I'd have no trouble from my ball and chain


    Without the prison reference, the meaning of the song is more obscure, although it still makes a convincing allegory of the human condition. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alexander Baron - London, England

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New York

Barney Hoskyns Explores The Forgotten History Of Woodstock, New YorkSong Writing

Our chat with Barney Hoskyns, who covers the wild years of Woodstock - the town, not the festival - in his book Small Town Talk.

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"

Jules Shear - "All Through The Night"They're Playing My Song

Shears does very little promotion, which has kept him secluded from the spotlight. What changed when Cyndi Lauper had a hit with his song? Not much, really.