music : lyrics

Ball and Chain

Willie Mae 'Big Mama' Thornton b.11 Dec 1926 d.25 Jul 1984 originally recorded by "Big Mama" Thornton (1968) Arhoolie Records # 1039.

Sittin' down by my window
Honey, lookin' out at the rain
Lord - Lord Lord - sittin' down by my window
A-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 - whoa, now hon', tell me why
Why does every single little tiny forever thing I hold on always goes wrong ?
Yeah it all goes wrong, yeah.
And I say oh, whoa - whoa - whoa, now baby, tell me why
Well why, does ev - every thing
Hey, here you're gone the day, 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 like a ball and chain
Now, love's just draggin' me down babe-yeah
Feels like a ball and chain.
I hope there's someone out there can 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 said oh, whoa - whoa - whoa, now hon' tell me why
Now tell me - tell me - tell me - tell me - tell me - tell me, Why - oh why yeah!
And I said Whoa, whoa - whoa - whoa - whoa - whoa - whoa - whoa - whoa, Whoa when I ask you
Hon I need to know why, c'mon tell me why, hey hey hey...
Here you're gone the day,
I wanted to love you, and hold you
Till the day I die.
I said Whoa! Whoa! whoa!!

And I say oh, whoa - whoa - whoa, Now honey
It ain't fair, Now daddy it ain't fair what you do
I said honey what you're doin' to me, and you know it ain't fair.
And I say whoa - whoa - whoa -whoa, now baby
It ain't fair, now - now - now, what you do
I said hon' it ain't fair what; honey it ain't fair what you do.
Oh, here you're gone the day and all I ever wanted to do
Was to love you
Honey I just know there can't be nothing wrong with that
Honey it ain't wrong, No - no - no - no - no.

Sittin' down by my window
Lookin' out at the rain.
Lord - Lord - Lord, Sittin' down by my window
Lookin' at all the rain; See the rain.
Somethin' came along, grabbed a hold of me
And it felt like a ball and chain.
Yes it did Bear
And I'm gonna tell you this one more time, yeah - yeah!

And I said oh, whoa - whoa - whoa, Now baby
This can't be, no this can't be in vain.
And I said, no - no - no - no - no - no - no - no, Whoa!
And I said Oh! Whoa! - Whoa! - Whoa! - Whoa!
Now! daddy - daddy - daddy - daddy - daddy - daddy, no - no - no - no - no - no, Not in vain
Hey, hope there's someone can tell me
Now tell me why,
Oh 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! ¥Ç¥

As recorded at Winterland (San Francisco) on 12 and 13 April 1968 and first released on the vinyl album "Cheap Thrills" (track 3 side 2) Columbia 9700.

music

lyrics

219
A Woman Left Lonely
All Is Loneliness
Amazing Grace
Apple of My Eye
As Good As You've Been to This World
Ball and Chain
Black Mountain Blues
Blindman
Blow My Mind
Bo Diddley
Buried Alive In The Blues
Bye, Bye Baby
C'mon Baby Let the Good Times Roll
Call On Me
Careless Love
Catch Me Daddy
Caterpillar
Codine
Combination Of The Two
Come Away With Me
Coo Coo
Cry Baby
Daddy, Daddy, Daddy
Dear Landlord
Down On Me
Easy Once You Know How
Easy Rider
Ego Rock
Farewell Song
Flower In The Sun
Get It While You Can
Goin' Down to Brownsville
Gospel Ship
Gutra's Garden
Half Moon
Harry
Hey Baby
I Ain't Gotta Worry
I Can't Turn You Loose
I Know You Rider
I Need A Man To Love
I'll Drown In My Own Tears
Intruder
It's a Deal
Janis
Kansas City Blues
Kozmic Blues
Light Is Faster Than Sound
Little Girl Blue
Magic Of Love
Mary Jane
Maybe
Me and Bobby McGee
Mercedes Benz
Misery 'n
Mississippi River
Moanin' at Midnight
Move Over
Mr. Natural
My Baby
No Reason For Livin'
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Oh, My Soul
Oh, Sweet Mary
One Good Man
One Night Stand
Piece Of My Heart
Psychedelic Preacher
Raise Your Hand
Red Mountain Burgundy
River Jordan
Road Block
San Francisco Bay Blues
See See Rider
Silver Threads And Golden Needles
So Sad To Be Alone
St. James Infirmary
Stealin' Stealin'
Summertime
Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down
Tell Mama
The Last Time
To Love Somebody
Trouble In Mind
Truckin'
Trust Me
Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)
Turtle Blues
Walk Right In
What Good Can Drinkin' Do
Whisperman
Winin' Boy
Women Is Losers
Work Me, Lord