Andre was a lifer doing hard time in the pen,
The law was his chain, the ball was his sin.
But he found freedom from his misery and pain,
The One who broke the chain, Jesus was His Name.
Jesus is real freedom, real freedom, yes indeed,
The only way to break your chains, the Master had to bleed.
Ball and chain, ball and chain,
I am just a slave to this ball of pain,
Holds me down, my tears like rain,
Somebody please free me from this ball and chain.
I’m tired of carrying this heavy load, tethered to my soul,
This chain is hard and bitter, the ball is mean and cold.
The shackles hold securely, I am the devil’s slave,
I guess I’ll tote this burden right into my grave,
Right into the grave, Jesus please us save.
Johnny had a habit, one he couldn’t break,
Like a ball and chain, this monkey on his back he wouldn’t shake.
But he found his freedom in the power of the Cross,
The One who took his cravin’, Jesus paid the cost.
Jesus is real freedom, He’s all we’ll ever need,
The only way to break your chains is unto Him we plead.
Ball and chain, ball and chain,
I am just a slave to this ball of pain,
Holds me down, my tears like rain,
Somebody please free me from this ball and chain.
I’m tired of carrying this heavy load, tethered to my soul,
This chain is hard and bitter, the ball is mean and cold.
The shackles hold securely, I am the devil’s slave,
I guess I’ll tote this burden right into my grave,
Right into the grave, Jesus please us save.
I have tried to free myself from this ball and chain,
Religion ain’t the answer, my slavery remains.
But I can find my freedom when trusting in the Christ,
He was given greatest power when He gave His Life.
Jesus is real freedom when His story I do read,
The only way to break my chains is when Him I do heed.
Ball and chain, ball and chain,
No more slave to a ball of pain,
Lift me up, remove my shame,
God’s Son has freed me from this ball and chain.
No more carrying what was tethered to my soul,
This chain has been broken by the One with Heart of gold.
The shackles behind me now, Jesus He did save,
And I look up toward heaven, no fear of the grave.
No fear of the grave, Jesus He did save me.
Tertius
He bringeth out those which are bound with chains.
Psalm 68:6
A note about, “Ball and Chain”: If you’re a sinner, and everybody is, you’ve got one. Children either don’t have it yet or maybe it’s too small to notice. But a hack saw, a power saw with a metal cutting blade, not even a blow torch will touch it. Neither will religion, good deeds or therapy or programs will get rid of it. Only Jesus can remove this weary burden we struggle needlessly with. “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15