"Ball and Chain"
Single by The Who
from the album Who
Released13 September 2019
Recorded2019
GenreBlues rock
Length4:29
LabelPolydor
Songwriter(s)Pete Townshend
The Who singles chronology
"Be Lucky"
(2014) 		"Ball and Chain"
(2019) 		"All This Music Must Fade"
(2019)

"Ball and Chain" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the British rock band The Who, appearing as the second track on their 2019 album Who.[1] The song is a re-recording of a Townshend solo song called "Guantanamo", which was released on his 2015 compilation album Truancy: The Very Best of Pete Townshend.[2] The song was the first single released from Who. It is about the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba.[3][4]

The song is a blues rock track led by Townshend's acoustic guitar, and it is sung by lead vocalist Roger Daltrey.[5] The song was debuted at the band's concert at London's Wembley Stadium on 6 July 2019, though at that time its title was "Big Cigars."[6]

References

  1. ^ "WHO - The Who | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Truancy: The Best of Pete Townshend - Pete Townshend | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  3. ^ Cook-Wilson, Winston (13 September 2019). "The Who Detail New Album Who, Release "Ball and Chain"". Spin. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  4. ^ Zemler, Emily (13 September 2019). "The Who Preview New Album 'WHO' With Single 'Ball and Chain'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  5. ^ Divita, Joe (13 September 2019). "The Who Debut New Song 'Ball and Chain' + Share New Album Details". Loudwire. Retrieved 17 November 2019.
  6. ^ "The Who Releasing New Album 'Who' On 11/22 - Share 'Ball and Chain'". Glidemagazine.com. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2019.


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