Tina Turner

Songwriter: Barrett Strong Norman Whitfield

Producer: Martyn Ware

People moving out, people moving in
Why, because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run, but you just can't hide
An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth
Vote for me and I'll set you free
Rap on, brother, rap on
Well, the only person talking about
Loving thy brother is the preacher
And it seems nobody's interested
In learning, but the teacher
Segregation, demonstration
Integration, determination
Aggravation, humiliation
Obligation to our nation
Ball of confusion
That's what the world is today
Hey, hey
The sale of pills is at an all time high
Young folks walk with their heads in the sky
The cities aflame in the summertime
And, oh, the beat goes on
Evolution, revolution, gun control
The sound of soul, shooting rockets to the moon
Kids growing up too soon
Politicians say, "More taxes will solve everything"
The band played on
So, 'round and around and around we go
Where the world's headed, nobody knows
Oh, Great Googamooga
Can't you hear me talking to you
Just a ball of confusion
That's what the world is today
Hey, hey
Fear in the air, tension everywhere
Unemployment rising fast
The Beatles new record's a gas
And the only safe place to live
Is on an Indian reservation
The band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
City inspectors, bill collectors, mod clothes in demand
Population out of hand, suicide, too many bills
Hippies moving to the hills
People all over the world are shouting, "End the war"
And the band played on
Great Googamooga
Can't you hear me talking to you
Just a ball of confusion
That's what the world is today
Yeah, yeah
Just a ball of confusion
I tell you that's what the world is today
Yeah, yeah
Just a ball of confusion, oh

Often dubbed the Queen of Rock & Roll, Tina Turner is arguably among the most iconic of female divas in history, with her prolific career and memorable personality as a performer and a public figure. Hailing from a small town in Tennessee, and born Anna Mae Bullock, Turner has cemented herself as one of music’s greatest entertainers.

Turner’s career in music arose from her frequenting of nightclubs near St. Louis, where she would meet her soon-to-be husband Ike Turner, who would also give her the alias “Tina”. With Ike, she would form the famous Ike And Tina Turner Revue. A dynamic, explosive R&B ensemble, the two became the definition of the genre in the late 60s and early 70s, where R&B/Soul had only tiptoed into the realms of the mainstream. A particularly influential act in popularizing the genre, the Revue went on to release some of music’s most memorable and iconic tracks – a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary”, the Phil Spector-penned “River Deep – Mountain High”, and the electric “Nutbush City Limits”. After a host of drug and abuse problems on Ike’s part, with the male Turner eventually engaging in a violent altercation with his wife, Tina decided to leave her husband for the solo life – and it worked.

As a solo artist, with the help of fellow artists like glam rocker David Bowie, Turner tumbled into mainstream success in the 80s with the only number-one hit of her career – the unconquerable love ballad “What’s Love Got To Do With It” as part of her debut solo album, Private Dancer.

more tracks from the album

Music Of Quality & Distinction (Volume One)

From the albums

Music Of Quality & Distinction (Volume One) (1982)
Private Dancer (1984)

Tina Turner popular songs

Ball of Confusion (That’s What the World Is Today)Tina Turner

Tina Turner

Music Of Quality & Distinction (Volume One)