it is definitely about relapse and the tar is black tar heroin. as said before the lime house is probably the drug house she frequented. if you have been through recovery you are familiar with the story "Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters" by Portia Nelson. the first verse of this song is a play on that story. i walk down the street and fall down...in Portia's story she falls in a hole over and over symbolizing relapse(to an addict but can have a broader meaning as well) since for addicts the hole symbolizes relapse it is clear then the meaning in the song when she says "i walk by(probably the lime house), i fall down for for warm black tar forms balls and black tar baby"(the lime house and heroin is her hole)...next thing she knows she is back in the lime house using again. in portia's story this happens repeatedly until she realizes she needs to walk down a different street
it is definitely about relapse and the tar is black tar heroin. as said before the lime house is probably the drug house she frequented. if you have been through recovery you are familiar with the story "Autobiography in 5 Short Chapters" by Portia Nelson. the first verse of this song is a play on that story. i walk down the street and fall down...in Portia's story she falls in a hole over and over symbolizing relapse(to an addict but can have a broader meaning as well) since for addicts the hole symbolizes relapse it is clear then the meaning in the song when she says "i walk by(probably the lime house), i fall down for for warm black tar forms balls and black tar baby"(the lime house and heroin is her hole)...next thing she knows she is back in the lime house using again. in portia's story this happens repeatedly until she realizes she needs to walk down a different street