While such cross-pollination has occurred throughout the history of both genres, the term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s who began to record country flavored records. Such individuals and groups include The Dillards, The Byrds, Gene Clark, Gram Parsons, Neil Young, Michael Nesmith, Grateful Dead, The Band, Bob Dylan, Buffalo Springfield, Moby Grape and Area Code 615. These musicians grew up listening to early country and rockabilly music on the radio in the 1950s, and were also influenced by the emergence of rock & roll in the 1960s. The Beatles, particularly in their earlier recordings, were also recording songs with a strong country influence, such as "I'll Cry Instead", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party", "I'm A Loser", "Baby's In Black" and Carl Perkin's "Matchbox".
The term is also used for those who came after them, such as The Flying Burrito Brothers, First National Band, The Eagles, Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt, Poco, Pure Prairie League, The Doobie Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band and Barefoot Jerry, as well as many musicians that they influenced, such as those in the alternative country movement.
The Chain
Fleetwood Mac Lyrics
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Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies
And if, you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You would never break the chain (never break the chain)
And if you don't love me now (if you don't love me now)
You will never love me again
(Well) I can still hear you saying
You would never (break) break, never (never break) break the chain (ah)
Listen to the wind blow, down comes the night
Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies
Break the silence, damn the dark, damn the light
And if you don't love me now
You will never love me again
I can still hear you saying
You'd never break the chain, never break the chain
And if you don't love me now (if you don't love me now)
You will never love me again
(Well) I can still hear you saying
You'd never break, never break the chain
If you do not love me now (if you don't love me now)
Never, never, never, never love me again
(Well) I can still hear you saying
You would (you'd) never break, never break the chain (yeah, yeah)
Chain (baby) keep us together
Chain (baby) keep us together (you come running in the shadow)
Chain keep us together (you come running, yes, I'm running)
Chain keep us together
(Thank you all for coming tonight, uh)
(It's good to be back playing LA)
(It's been about two years since we've been on the road)
(And a lot of people were wondering what happened to us)
(I mean a lot of things had happened, had we broken up? whatever)
(But we're here to show you that we just refuse to go away, so)
The lyrics to Fleetwood Mac's song The Chain are about the complexities and difficulties of relationships, particularly romantic ones. The first verse describes the struggle of trying to run away from the pain and hurt caused by a love that has turned sour, while the second verse emphasizes the need to confront and address the issues head-on rather than hiding from them. The chorus, repeated three times throughout the song, speaks to the idea of a chain that binds people together, for better or for worse. It suggests that even when love fades, the connection between two people can remain, and that connection can be powerful and unbreakable.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they are often seen as a reflection of the tumultuous romantic relationships within the band at the time of the song's creation. The band was going through a period of upheaval, with breakups, divorces, and new relationships all happening simultaneously. The song is believed to have been written as a collaborative effort by all five members of Fleetwood Mac, with each contributing lyrics and music to create the final product.
Overall, the lyrics to The Chain speak to the universal experience of love and loss, and the way that relationships can be both uplifting and destructive at the same time. They capture the tension and complexity of trying to hold onto a love that may no longer be healthy or viable, and the deep emotional ties that can bind people together even after they have parted ways.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise
Take in the beauty of the natural world around us
Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies
Escaping from someone's deceitful love and lies
And if, you don't love me now
If you don't currently love me
You will never love me again
You'll never have feelings for me in the future
I can still hear you saying
Your words from the past still echo in my mind
You would never break the chain (never break the chain)
You promised to maintain the connection between us forever
Listen to the wind blow, down comes the night
Even as darkness falls, we're still brought together by nature
Break the silence, damn the dark, damn the light
Breaking free from oppressive forces on all sides
Chain keep us together (running in the shadow)
Our shared experiences keep us connected, even in difficult times
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Christine McVie, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Stephanie Nicks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Henri Hudson
on Tusk
Why don't you ask him if he's going to stay?
Why don't you ask him if he's going away?