Social Distortion - Ball and Chain Lyrics Meaning
Anyone who has dealt with drug and alcohol addiction in anyway- be it personally or through a family member or friend- will know that this song is about addiction. The ball is the drugs and alcohol and the addiction is the chain that ties you to it.
"Well it's been ten years, and a thousand tears" this means that the past ten years he has spent in the throws of addiction, and he cried over all that he has been through and what he has done "And look at the mess I'm in" is hitting rock bottom, and knowing that your life is a mess, it links to the first step of any 12-step program- We admit that we are powerless, and our lives have become unmanagable. "A broken nose and a broken heart, an empty bottle of gin" refers to the fact that when drunk you are more emotional, he got in a fight because he had been drinking over being hurt. "Well I sit and I pray, in my broken down Chevrolet, while I'm singing to myself, there's got to be another way" He is praying to his higher power to save him from the cycle he lives in of getting f*cked up. And in his heart he knows that there is a better way of dealing with life than running from it by drinking or using. Take away, take away, Take away this ball and chain, I'm lonely and I'm tired, And I can't take any more pain, Take away, take away, Never to return again
Take away, take away, Take away this ball and chain" When you are an addict, no matter who you are around you feel alone, and he is tired of this way of life. He can't handle everything that the alcoholism and addiction is inflicting on him and his loved ones. "Well I've search and I've search, to find a better life. A brand new job and a brand new suit, I even got me a little wife." Is him thinking that changing various things will make life better, without him having to give up alcohol. "But wherever I have gone, I was sure to find myself there" This is a common saying in AA(Alcoholics Anonymous) and other 12-step programs. It means that no matter where you go, no matter what you try to do, until you address the roblems inside of you, nothing will change. You will always be YOU no matter how you change the outside. "You can run all your life, and not go anywhere" Is another line from 12-step. It means that you can do a lot and go wherever, but you won't make anything of your life if you don't work on yourself and put sobriety first. "I passed the bar on the way, to my dingy hotel room. Spent all my money, been drinkin' since a half past noon" means that he didn't go into a bar, because he has literally spent all his money on booze already, his dingy hotel room is because he has probably lost the house he had, or because he hasnt had a house since all of his money goes to alcohol and drugs. been drinking since a half past noon shows that he has a problem. He isn't just drinking occasionally at night, he starts as soon as he is awake and doesn't stop until he is passed out. "I'll wake there in the morning, or maybe in the county jail" means he will either wake up in the hotel, or get arrested and spend the night in jail, because he is drunk or because of his action because he is drunk. "Times are hard gettin' harder, I'm born to lose and destined to fail" This is the mindset of every alcoholic before recovery. They drink to forget everything they have done, how they hurt people and themselfs, thus inflicting more damage, leading to drinking more. They lose everything that means anything to them, because they are too deep in the addictions.
I believe this song to be about drugs and alcohol the first time I heard it, my mother agreed when I told her my thoughts...a few months later we were at an AA Speaker Meeting, and Mike Ness (who is now in AA and NA(Narcotics Anonymous) was the speaker. He told his story and explained this song while he was telling his story. I didn't get a chance to talk to him after the meeting like I wanted to, but still...this explanation is a more detailed explanation of what he told the song to be about in that meeting.
