Ball and Chain (Elton John song)
| "Ball and Chain" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Elton John | ||||||||||
| from the album Jump Up! | ||||||||||
| B-side | "Where Have All the Good Times Gone" (alternate version) | |||||||||
| Released | September, 1982 | |||||||||
| Recorded | September-October 1981 | |||||||||
| Genre | Rock, acoustic pop | |||||||||
| Length | 3:27 | |||||||||
| Label |
Geffen (US) Rocket (UK) | |||||||||
| Writer(s) | Elton John, Gary Osborne | |||||||||
| Producer(s) | Chris Thomas | |||||||||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||||||||
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"Ball and Chain" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Gary Osborne. It is the third track on his 1982 album Jump Up! and was released as a single in the United States in September that year. It features Pete Townshend of The Who on acoustic guitar.
Lyrical meaning
The song is basically about bad love, simply a relationship that is just not working. The woman is simply not giving her piece in the relationship. The man feels that he has "A ball and chain hanging around his heart". Osborne also added some French words into the song.
Musical structure
The song opens with Pete Townshend's percussive guitar playing, and subtle piano from Elton John. The song then builds to a climactic finish, placing the final verse one octave higher.
Personnel
- Elton John - piano, vocals
- Pete Townshend - acoustic guitar
- Richie Zito - guitars
- Dee Murray - bass
- James Newton-Howard - synthesizer
- Jeff Porcaro - drums
- Steve Holly - tambourine
Covers
Country music artist Kathy Mattea covered the song on her 1985 album From My Heart.