Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. in difficulties.

1937		E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 22: Yessir, the Law would be up tight if it wasn’t for sore women and snitches.
1967		M. Braly On the Yard (2002) 239: He was strung out. Up tight, up tight. They hung him out to dry.
1975		Sepe & Telano Cop Team 69: ‘What’s happening, Lulu? [...] I thought you were uptight.’ ‘Everything’s been nice and quiet here.’.

2. (US black) trapped, in a position from which there is no escape.

a.1962		‘The Letter’ in D. Wepman et al. Life (1976) 141: Oh, Daddy, I slept real good last night, / Knowing you were really up tight.
1972		G.V. Higgins Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) 38: The grand jury’s got you guys up so tight you’re choking.
1980		(con. 1940s–60s) H. Huncke ‘Whitey’ in Eve. Sun Turned Crimson (1998) 213: Whitey had spoken of his old lady being uptight in jail, of her owing the state time – seven years.

3. addicted; suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

1967		J. Gimenez Up Tight! 17: I was a stinkin’ filthy no-good junkie, twisted out of my mind. Up tight. Bound by dope. A chronic addict.
1971		R.D. Pharr S.R.O. (1998) 65: Neither of them ever appeared to be sick for want of a fix, but then none of Leah’s morning callerers ever seemed to be uptight.
1977		A. Brooke Last Toke 97: What that Honey-gal needs is a habit, seem to me. Gots to get her up tight on you drugs. Get her so she need pills to wake up in the mornin’, mo’ to put her to sleep at night an’ some in between.