“The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac
According to the history of this track, “The Chain” did not follow the normal procedure of songwriting and recording. Rather it was put together by combining various separate tracks which some of the band members did on their own. And according to Lindsey Buckingham that is the reason why this song was named so, as like a chain it “was a bunch of pieces” linked together.
Lyrics of “The Chain”
But more to the point of the actual lyrics contained therein, the singer is obviously in a close relationship with the addressee. The nature of their association is not specified though can easily be interpreted as being romantic in nature. And overall, the phrase “the chain” is a metaphor for said relationship. Moreover, the way the storyline reads is as if the addressee has disappointed the singer in such a manner in which their union is currently threatened. So conclusively, despite all that’s going on between them, the primary sentiment the singer is putting forth is his desire for “the chain” to remain strong.
Now fans of Fleetwood Mac know that at the time this song was released the members of the band – which featured a pair of romantic couples itself – were in fact dealing with serious relationship issues amongst themselves. So despite the origins of this track’s recording, the way fans interpret it is as being more or less representative of the band’s overall desire to keep the group together.
“Never break the chain”
Facts about “The Chain”
The writing of this song is credited to Fleetwood Mac members. We therefore have the following writing credits:
- Mick Fleetwood
- Stevie Nicks
- Lindsey Buckingham
- John McVie
- Christine McVie
It came out, via Warner Bros. Records, as part of the band’s album entitled “Rumours” on 4 February 1977. And it earned the distinction of being the only track on the album with all five members of the group wrote. This, once again, is due to the fact that “The Chain” itself is basically a compilation of other recordings by Fleetwood Mac’s individual members.
Additionally the entire band produced “The Chain” alongside these producers:
- Richard Dashut
- Ken Caillat
A live version of this song charted in the US and Canada in 1997, and the original version managed to chart in the UK in 2011. The latter phenomenon was partially due to the fact that the BBC used “The Chain” as theme music for its coverage of Formula One racing. Moreover the aforementioned live version is what the music video to the song, which didn’t come out ’til 1997, is based on.
The live rendition was also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998.
And whereas this track may not have had an overly-impression chart showing, it is considered by many to be among Fleetwood Mac’s signature tunes. Indeed a biography of the band which was published in 2018 is entitled “The Chain: 50 Years of Fleetwood Mac”. Additionally Fleetwood Mac itself released a four-disc set in 1992 entitled “25 Years – The Chain”.
This song has also been featured on the television show “Glee” in 2011 and the MCU film “Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2” in 2017. Additionally it has appeared on other pop media.
