Colin Moulding has described the song as "a little chant from the terraces" concerning
redevelopment in
Swindon Town Centre. Moulding felt that "the whole Swindon area seemed to be under the hammer", citing the 1978 demolition of the Baptist Tabernacle in favour of a car park as an example. Musically,
Andy Partridge has said the song was based on
The Beatles' "
Getting Better".
Allmusic's Ned Raggett considers the song to have a "jaunty
music-hall style" that "shows the band's appreciation for older styles of English pop starting to come through". Moulding has dismissed "Ball and Chain" as "not much of a song", feeling that he went "off the boil" during this period until
Skylarking. The single sleeve shows a house in Westlecott Place, Swindon whose occupant Peter Uzzell refused to move out despite every house around his being demolished. The song was played at Uzzell’s cremation ceremony in October 2018, the first piece of music played at Swindon’s North Wiltshire Crematorium. A music video was produced for the song, appearing on the 1982 home video release "Look Look". ==Reception==