The Ol’ Ball & Chain doesn’t always refer to marriage…





I spent my Thanksgiving vacation driving to see my family in Oklahoma – and Janis Joplin accompanied me the entire way. This particular version of “Ball & Chain’ has always been my favorite – because of the speech she gives at the end.



I’ve utilized her way of thinking to get me through a few different tough situations – when I wanted someone who I couldn’t have. She taught me to relish the moments you do have – rather than cry about the ones you don’t.




Preach it, Janis:



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.

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 ain’t got him for 365 days, you got him for one day, man. well I tell you that one day, 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
Love, 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, man. it’s all the same fucking day, man.




So you gotta, when you wanna hold him,
You gotta hold him like it’s the last minute in your life, baby.

Responses

  1. Old OK friend Avatar

    How was your thanksgiving? I hope the travels went well. I'm sure going from city to city with Janis was a lot. Its a good time to be near family and friends. And appreciate and be thankful for the 1 day we do get, not the 364 we don't. 'go Janis go'

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  2. Old OK Friend Avatar

    I have a great idea for you. But I need to talk to you about it. I think you'd love it.

    Like

  3. Hillary Avatar

    Well, hit me up on email: hillaryself@gmail.com and I can provide you my telephone number or Skype ID.

    I'd love to hear your idea…

    🙂

    Like

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