Ball and Chain
Janis Joplin
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S-sitting down by my window, Oh, looking at the rain. S-sitting down by my window now now, All around I felt it, All I could see was the rain. Something grabbed a hold of me, honey, Felt to me honey like, lord, a ball and chain. Yeah! hey! you know what I mean, But it's way too heavy for you, You can't hold it tomorrow. Say, whoa, whoa, honey, it can't be Just because I got to want your love Please please please please, whoa please, please. Whoa, honey it can't be Just because I got to need you daddy. Please don't you let me down, no, please, lord! Here you gone today, but I wanted to love you, I wanted to hold you, yeah, till the day I die, Till the day, till the day, Yeah! hey! hey! all right! Say, whoa, whoa, honey this can't be Not anything I ever wanted from you daddy Tell me now, now, now, now, oh, tell me now, yeah. I say, whoa, whoa, honey this can't be No, no, no, no, no, no, no yeah yeah, hey! And I want someone that could tell me, tell me why Just because I got to want your love Honey, just because I got to need, need, need your love I said I don't understand, honey, but I wanna chance to try Try, try, try, try try try try Honey when everybody in the world wants the same damn thing When everybody in the world will need the same lonely thing When I wanna work for your love, daddy. When I wanna try for your love, daddy. I don't understand how come you're gone, man. I don't understand why half the World is still crying, man, when the other half of the world is still Crying too, man, I can't get it together. I 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 Day, man. well I tell you that one da N, better be your life, man. because, you know, you can say, oh man, you Can cry about the other 364, man, but you're gonna lose that one day, man, And that's all you've got. you gotta call that, man. That's what it is, man. if you got it today you don't want it Tomorrow, man, cause you don't need it, 'cause as a matter of fact, as we Discovered in the train, tomorrow never happens, m Ts all the same fucking day, man. So you gotta, when you wanna hold a sigh, You gotta hold him like it's the last minute in your life, baby. You gotta hold, whoa, whoa, hold him 'Cause someday some weights gonna come on your shoulders, babe, It's gonna feel too heavy, it's gonna weigh on you, It's gonna feel just like a ball, ball, ball, oh daddy, And a chain.
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6 facts about this song
Big Mama Thornton's Influence"Ball and Chain" is a blues song initially written and recorded by Big Mama Thornton in 1961.
- Big Mama Thornton was a groundbreaking American rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter known for her powerful voice.
- She is known for being an influential figure in blues music, particularly for female artists.
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Connection with Janis JoplinJanis Joplin performed a remarkable cover of "Ball and Chain," which has since become one of her signature works.
- It was the explosive performance of this very song by Joplin at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 that brought her national attention.
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Monterey Pop FestivalThis festival marks a watershed moment not only for Joplin's career but for the history of rock music itself.
- The live performance of "Ball and Chain" was so impactful it was included in the documentary film of the festival.
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Recording and ReleaseWhile Thornton recorded the original song, it was Joplin's version with Big Brother and the Holding Company that was released as a single and included in their album "Cheap Thrills."
- The album topped the Billboard 200 albums chart for eight weeks and was certified Gold, further amplifying the song's influence.
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Copyright IssueUnaware of the US copyright laws, Big Mama Thornton had signed away her renewal rights for "Ball and Chain."
- As a result, Thornton saw virtually none of the profits from Joplin's recording, a situation that has since been used as an example of the exploitation of black musicians.
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Legacy of the Song"Ball and Chain" has been recognized as a classic of blues music.
- It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
- The song showcased the raw emotional power of both artists, Thornton and Joplin, securing their places in music history.
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"Ball and Chain Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Sep. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/36289741/Janis+Joplin/Ball+and+Chain>.
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