Ball and Chain
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"Ball and Chain" | ||
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Song by Social Distortion | ||
from the album Social Distortion | ||
Released | March 27, 1990 | |
Recorded | 1989 | |
Genre | Alternative Rock | |
Length | 5:44 | |
Writer(s) | Mike Ness | |
Producer(s) | Dave Jerden | |
Chart positions | ||
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Social Distortion track listing | ||
Ring of Fire (5) |
"Ball and Chain" (6) |
It Coulda Been Me (7) |
Ball and Chain is a hit song by punk band, Social Distortion. It was released in 1990 and featured on their self-titled album, as well as Live at the Roxy (1998). The song details someone examining their unsatisfied life filled with bad luck and frequent drinking, realizing that "there's got to be another way." The song is in a ballad format, almost country-sounding.
The chorus reads:
- 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
More than a decade after its release, "Ball and Chain" remains a concert staple.
The song was played on an episode of My Name Is Earl and Scrubs.
The song was covered frequently in concert by the late '90s Atlanta indie band Alastor led by Elizabeth Elkins, who went on to form The Swear.