Ball and Chain

@duhaast I agree with the basics of what you say here. But I also think the lyrics of this song do very specifically express alcohol as the "demon" of the tale. I do not think this is any deep nuanced tale, but rather more a typically sad country/western song where the narrator feels guilty (because he/she is guilty, in this case) and, in this guilt, he/she does not so much seek any kind of redemption or even imagine the potential for it, but rather, looks to have his/her (suggestively, self-imposed) pain taken away (which is typically achieved by death...

@duhaast I agree with the basics of what you say here. But I also think the lyrics of this song do very specifically express alcohol as the "demon" of the tale. I do not think this is any deep nuanced tale, but rather more a typically sad country/western song where the narrator feels guilty (because he/she is guilty, in this case) and, in this guilt, he/she does not so much seek any kind of redemption or even imagine the potential for it, but rather, looks to have his/her (suggestively, self-imposed) pain taken away (which is typically achieved by death and there is some suggestion that is the narrator's desire here, such as with "never to return" and "born to lose/destined to fail")

So, while I agree with your statement that God (or at least, the more decent sort of God) would listen to this person's woe story and be moved more than by the inherent deceit of the priesthood's prayer, even so, I don't think the lyrics speaks in that direction. And the author is also on record sufficiently to conclude that was not part of the intent.

@duhaast true I agree I made this same point at a youth group thing once. A prayer is meant to be a true talk with God from the heart an empty prayer is not a true prayer this is why Jesus condemn pointless repetition in the Bible not that all prayers that are repeated are bad but that you cannot just chant something and not mean it, it needs to have substance the words need to come from the heart. To say “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner” a hundred times without knowing what...

@duhaast true I agree I made this same point at a youth group thing once. A prayer is meant to be a true talk with God from the heart an empty prayer is not a true prayer this is why Jesus condemn pointless repetition in the Bible not that all prayers that are repeated are bad but that you cannot just chant something and not mean it, it needs to have substance the words need to come from the heart. To say “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner” a hundred times without knowing what you are asking God to have mercy on you for is nothing compared to truly knowing what you are asking for mercy for and repenting. Not that the Jesus prayer, Hail Mary, Our Father, or any other well known prayer with “things” and “thous” is bad in fact all three of those listed are taken directly from scripture. Once when I was in Confession my Priest said to say for my Penance one Our Father, slowly and taking in all the words I am saying. The Our Father is a great prayer to say even to repeat or say in Latin if you know what you are saying. It’s a prayer praising God, asking to do His will, asking for forgiveness while simultaneously forgiving others, and finally asking Him to deliver us from evil like temptation. Words meant to be spoken from the heart not just spoken. It’s like the Sound of Silence lyric “people talking without speaking”. Anyways I agree with you but just had to defend prayers that had thine and thou in them. It’s sad that many people today don’t know how to truly pray even religious people who just repeat the prayers that had been taught to them without caring to know what they truly mean or praying from the heart.

@ZTrance Yes. I think your straightforward interpretation is in line with the straightforward intent of these lyrics. It's a very solid song in my opinion, but not one seeking high ideals. It is like a country western confessional song, where the confessor has no pretension of redemption and is left to seek simple relief from the painful cycle (i.e., death)

@ZTrance Yes. I think your straightforward interpretation is in line with the straightforward intent of these lyrics. It's a very solid song in my opinion, but not one seeking high ideals. It is like a country western confessional song, where the confessor has no pretension of redemption and is left to seek simple relief from the painful cycle (i.e., death)

Also, I want to emphasize that I think the beauty and poignancy of the lyrics are enhanced by embracing the hopeless, desperate tone over anything suggesting a plea for salvation. I would admit to signs of hope in...

Also, I want to emphasize that I think the beauty and poignancy of the lyrics are enhanced by embracing the hopeless, desperate tone over anything suggesting a plea for salvation. I would admit to signs of hope in verse #1, where "I sit and I pray, there's got to be a better way" -- but I think even verse #1 works best in the overall suggestion of self-admitted defeat. After all, how could accepting yourself to be incapable of self-control be something hopeful? It can be redemptive, as any profound self-recognition should be; but, heroes are heroes and losers are losers. If any salvation awaits, the confessor in this story does not feel deserving of it; rather, the desperation throughout is more suggestive of a call for some final pronouncement of sentence.

@roleki Very good point about the song's relation to "country music" themes but with music in a context both more like modern rock/new wave and more happy in tone than a typical moody country song of similar theme. It's a great song, in my opinion; but I don't necessarily agree with some of the comments that suggest a plea for salvation or something like that. I like it more as a simple guilty confession/admission of where the narrator ended up after years of the same mistakes: 80% in favor of getting struck by lightning (i.e., "waking up dead"...

@roleki Very good point about the song's relation to "country music" themes but with music in a context both more like modern rock/new wave and more happy in tone than a typical moody country song of similar theme. It's a great song, in my opinion; but I don't necessarily agree with some of the comments that suggest a plea for salvation or something like that. I like it more as a simple guilty confession/admission of where the narrator ended up after years of the same mistakes: 80% in favor of getting struck by lightning (i.e., "waking up dead" after his latest binge) to end his/her seemingly unconquerable misery, rather than have to live again the next day/week, etc.