Released: 2023
“Nine Ball” by Zach Bryan isn’t just a song about pool—it’s a deeply personal narrative about a complex father-son relationship, responsibility, and the desire for a normal childhood amidst the chaos of adult problems. Zach Bryan paints a vivid picture of a young boy thrust into the world of gambling and expectations by his father, using the game of pool as a metaphor for life’s challenges and the pressures placed on him.
The lyrics kick off with the lines, “I don’t wanna bet, but my father wrote a check / That I bet his ass could never cash”, setting the tone for a story about a father living vicariously through his son. The son is aware of his father’s flaws, acknowledging the bets and promises his father makes are often more than he can deliver. The game of pool becomes the battleground where these dynamics play out, with the father betting on games, specifically the “eight-ball landing in the side wall”, representing risky or unlikely chances he takes in life.
As the song progresses, we see the boy growing in skill, “Only 12 years old, but I got a hold / Of a pool stick I was gifted from him”, indicating not only his skill with the pool cue but also the heavy burden of expectation placed on him from such a young age. Despite the boy’s knack for the game, evidenced by his father’s confidence in his son to win bets, there’s an underlying desire for a more normal relationship with his father, wishing instead for activities like fishing or trying out for the football team.
The repeated chorus with the lines, “My father was a betting man / But I got myself a steady hand”, speaks volumes about the son’s resilience and determination to rise above his father’s shortcomings. The steady hand symbolizes not just his skill at pool but his ability to handle the unpredictability and challenges thrown his way because of his father’s actions. The son’s success at the game becomes a double-edged sword—while it wins his father’s bets, it’s also a constant reminder of the normalcy and carefree childhood he sacrifices in the process.
Ultimately, “Nine Ball” is a bittersweet tale of a son caught in the cycle of his father’s gambling habits, yearning for a different life while showcasing loyalty and a desire to win his father’s approval through the game of pool. It touches on themes of lost innocence, the impact of parental flaws on children, and finding strength in adversity—all encapsulated in the metaphor of a game of nine-ball pool.
