Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of all time, King is the most successful female songwriter of the latter half of the 20th century in the US, having written or co-written 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. King also wrote 61 hits that charted in the UK, making her the most successful female songwriter on the UK singles charts between 1962 and 2005.

King's major success began in the 1960s when she and her first husband, Gerry Goffin, wrote more than two dozen chart hits, many of which have become standards, for numerous artists. She has continued writing for other artists since then. King's success as a performer in her own right did not come until the 1970s, when she sang her own songs, accompanying herself on the piano, in a series of albums and concerts. After experiencing commercial disappointment with her debut album Writer, King scored her breakthrough with the album Tapestry, which topped the U.S. album chart for 15 weeks in 1971 and remained on the charts for more than six years.

King has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry, which held the record for most weeks at No. 1 by a female artist for more than 20 years. Her record sales were estimated at more than 75 million copies worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She has been inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a performer and songwriter. She is the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, the first woman to be so honored. She is also a 2015 Kennedy Center Honoree.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_King

Studio albums
Writer (1970)
Tapestry (1971)
Music (1971)
Rhymes & Reasons (1972)
Fantasy (1973)
Wrap Around Joy (1974)
Thoroughbred (1976)
Simple Things (1977)
Welcome Home (1978)
Touch the Sky (1979)
Pearls: Songs of Goffin and King (1980)
One to One (1982)
Speeding Time (1983)
City Streets (1989)
Colour of Your Dreams (1993)
Love Makes the World (2001)
A Holiday Carole (2011)

Chains
Carole King Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
And they ain't the kind that you can see.
Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me. Yeah!

Chains, well I can't break away from these chains,
Can't run around 'cause I'm not free.
Whoa, these chains of love won't let me be. Yeah!

Now believe me when I tell you I think you're fine.
I'd like to hold you, but, darling, I'm imprisoned by these
Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
And they ain't the kind that you can see.
Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me, Yeah!

I wanna tell you pretty baby, your lips look sweet.
I'd like to kiss them, But I can't break away from all these
Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me, Yeah!

Overall Meaning

In this song, Carole King portrays the feeling of being trapped in a relationship that is not healthy but unable to break free due to love. The chains mentioned in the lyrics are symbolic for the emotional hold that her lover has on her. She even acknowledges the fact that her lover is not the kind of person who is visible with such chains, but they still hold on to her. King admits that she likes her lover and wants to be close to him, but the chains of love are too strong, holding her back and not letting her go.

The lyrics reflect on the theme of love, showing how it can be both a blessing and a curse. Love can hold one back from making the right decision or leave one in a situation that is not ideal. The lyrics are relatable, evoking emotions of helplessness, frustration, and longing. The song speaks to those who have experienced the pain of feeling trapped in a relationship while still finding it hard to let go of their love.

Line by Line Meaning

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
I feel trapped in my relationship because my significant other has a strong hold on me.

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
These emotional chains are not visible to others, and yet they still have a powerful hold over me.

Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me. Yeah!
It's love that has me feeling like I'm locked up in chains, unable to go anywhere.

Chains, well I can't break away from these chains,
Try as I might, I cannot escape the emotional bonds that tie me to my partner.

Can't run around 'cause I'm not free.
I cannot live my life freely because my relationship restricts me from doing so.

Whoa, these chains of love won't let me be. Yeah!
My love for my partner is what's keeping me bound and unable to live my life as I choose.

Now believe me when I tell you I think you're fine.
I believe you're wonderful, but I'm stuck in this relationship that's making me feel trapped and unable to fully express my feelings.

I'd like to hold you, but, darling, I'm imprisoned by these
I long to be close to you, but these emotional chains are preventing me from doing so.

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
Once again, I feel like my partner has me trapped and unable to live my life as I choose.

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
These emotional chains are not visible, but they are very real and have a strong hold over me.

Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me, Yeah!
I cannot escape the profound love I feel for my partner, and it's what's keeping me trapped and unable to move on.

I wanna tell you pretty baby, your lips look sweet.
I find my significant other very attractive, but I still feel trapped and unable to fully express my feelings.

I'd like to kiss them, But I can't break away from all these
Although I want to act on my feelings and be intimate with my partner, I feel stuck and unable to do so.

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
Once again, I feel like my partner is trapping me in this relationship and preventing me from living my life on my own terms.

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
These emotional chains are invisible, but they have a very real impact on my life and well-being.

Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me, Yeah!
Once again, it's my love for my partner that's keeping me trapped and unable to move forward in my life.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Carole King

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Paul O

What an absolutely Fantastic rendition of her Classic Hit - Love It!!!!

colin fairhurst

2y↑3

How strong is her voice now, awesome vocals !

Faith Clifford

4y↑9

Memories singing in a car singing this song with my boyfriend thank you, Carole. I married that boy!!!

Lourdes Cabrers

Multi talentos my Queen

Bernt Wikan

Carole is still one of my favourite artist to listen. A bunch of almums I ave collected during the years.

Raija Laitinen

5y↑2

Thanks Carole! You are the best for ever! Keep on going!

Bob Schilling

3y↑1

Dancing "The Stroll" at a Saturday night high school dance, with the girl I'd been hoping to date for months...this song did it. Your songs accompanied my life. Thank you forever.