Early Life & Rise to Fame
Allen was born Deborah Lynn Thurmond in Memphis, Tennessee and was strongly influenced by Patsy Cline. It was at the young age of 17, that Allen decided to pursue a country music career, and she then moved to Nashville, Tennessee, the hometown of Country music. Here, she followed the basic tradition of what most rising country stars did, and became a waitress at the local IHOP restaurant. While working here, she met Roy Orbison. Orbison liked Allen's voice, and he decided to hire Allen as a background singer. She also worked at the Opryland theme park. She soon landed a gig as a singer and dancer in Tennessee Ernie Ford's tour. It was soon evident that Allen wanted to pursue a solo career.
Allen finally got the chance to pursue a singing career in her own right. She served as an opening act for Jim Stafford. In 1979, Allen was handpicked by Jim Reeves' wife to sing on some of Reeves' unfinished duet tracks. These songs were "Don't Let Me Cross Over", "Oh, How I Miss You Tonight", and "Take Me In Your Arms and Hold Me". All three songs were released as singles for Reeves' old record company, RCA Records. "Take Me In Your Arms and Hold Me" proved to be a hit single for Allen, going all the way to #10 on the Country charts in early 1980.
[edit] The Height of Her Career In the Early 80s
In 1980, Allen was able to sign with Capitol Records. Her debut album under the label was 1980's Trouble in Paradise. Although the album wasn't too much of a success, the album did produce some minor hits for Allen, including "Nobody's Fool" and "You Make Me Wonder Why". "You Make Me Wonder Why" was Allen's highest charting single from the album, peaking at #20. She released a couple of other unsuccessful singles, including "You Look Like the One I Love" and "After Tonight". "After Tonight" only peaked at #82 on the Country charts in 1982.
Allen soon switched record companies after finding no success under Capitol. In 1983, she moved over to RCA Records, where she ended up having her biggest success. It all started with releasing the album Cheat the Night in 1983. The first single released from the album came the same year with her signature song, "Baby I Lied." On the Country charts, it was a Top 5 hit, peaking at #4. It was also a Pop chart crossover, reaching #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1984. It even went as far to become a hit on the Adult Contemporary charts. Overnight, Allen was turned into a major Country Music star, from waiting tables in Nashville, to performing at the Grand Ole Opry. Allen followed up the success of her crossover hit quite well with the Country hit "I've Been Wrong Before," which just missed topping the Country charts in the spring of 1984. Later that year, "I Hurt For You," also from Allen's breakthrough album, became her most recent top 10 country hit, reaching #10. All her hits were co-written by Allen and her husband Rafe Van Hoy, a rarity for Country Pop-styled singers. In 1984, the two continued their collaboration together, with the song "Let Me Be There First", which used electronic instrumentation. In 1984, Allen also had a minor hit with the song "Heartache and a Half".
In 1987, Allen released a single penned by the legendary singer Prince called "Telepathy". An album of the same name was also released, which showed even more electronic instrumentation. All this experimenting with electronic instrumentation led to Allen's fans lessening, and soon enough she was alienated from her Country audience. After the release of the 1987 single "You're the Kind of Trouble", RCA Records dropped Allen from the label.
[edit] Comeback & Life Today
Soon, Allen was left without a recording contract, with no way to make a living. However, Allen and Van Hoy were able to write as songwriters. Together they penned the Janie Fricke hit "Don't Worry 'Bout Me Baby" and also the Tanya Tucker hit "Can I See You Tonight", among other hits.
However, during her free time, Allen was putting together a comeback album called Delta Dreamland. She used her own time and her own money to put together the album. Soon, however, she was able to make a deal with Giant Records to release the album under their label in 1993. That same year, she had a Top 30 hit from the album with the song "Rock Me (In the Cradle of Love)". She also had one other charting single from the album. The album showed Allen as a new person, with a more sexier image and a bluesy new style. Her 1994 album, All That I Am, ended up being the same result. Since the release of her two albums, Allen remained a popular songwriter in Nashville.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
Year Title US Country US 200
1980 Trouble in Paradise
1983 Cheat the Night 10 67
1984 Let Me Be There First 52
1987 Telepathy
1993 Delta Dreamland 55
1994 All That I Am
1998 Anthology
2000 The Best of Deborah Allen
[edit] Singles
Year Title US Country Album
1976 "Do You Copy" single only
1979 "Don't Let Me Cross Over" (w/ Jim Reeves) 10 Don't Let Me Cross Over
"Oh, How I Miss You Tonight" (w/ Jim Reeves) 6
1980 "Take Me in Your Arms and Hold Me" (w/ Jim Reeves) 10
"Nobody's Fool" 24 Trouble in Paradise
1981 "You (Make Me Wonder Why)" 20 single only
"Next to You" Trouble in Paradise
1982 "You Look Like (The One I Love)" 33 singles only
"After Tonight" 82
"Don't Stop Lovin' Me" Trouble in Paradise
1983 "Baby I Lied"A 4 Cheat the Night
1984 "I've Been Wrong Before" 2
"I Hurt for You" 10
"Rockin' Little Christmas"
"Heartache and a Half" 23 Let Me Be There First
1987 "Telepathy" Telepathy
"You're the Kind of Trouble"
1992 "Rock Me (in the Cradle of Love)" 29 Delta Dreamland
1993 "If You're Not Gonna Love Me" 44
"All The Loving and Hurting Too"
1994 "Break These Chains" 66 All That I Am
1999 "Is It Love Yet" The Best of Deborah Allen
APeaked at #26 on Billboard Hot 100 and #10 on Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
[edit] External links
Official Deborah Allen Website
Authorized Deborah Allen Baby I Lied Home Page, Founded 1998
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_Allen"
Break These Chains
Deborah Allen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cut me loose and set me free
I can't stand to live my life
Bound to your memory
The phone rings, it's three in the mornin'
Who else could it be
You're gone but you try to keep it goin'
Forever is over - now it's up to me
To (I gotta) break these chains
If I'm ever gonna love again
I gotta say goodbye and let it end
My heart is tellin' me if I'm gonna be free
I gotta break these chains
It's time to put away your picture
Take your pillow from my bed
I'm still bound to you, baby
But with every step
I'm gettin' stronger - and I won't bend
To (I gotta) break these chains
If I'm ever gonna love again
I gotta say goodbye and let it end
My heart is tellin' me if I'm gonna be free
I gotta break these chains
Chains, chains, everybody changes
Gonna have to be the one to break these chains
Chains everybody changes
Gonna have to walk away and break these chains
In Deborah Allen's song "Break These Chains," the singer expresses her desire to break free from her past relationship and its memories. The first stanza of the song shows her desperation to get over her ex-lover by cutting them loose from her heart and freeing herself from the prison of his memories. The singer's phone rings at 3 in the morning, and she knows it's her ex. She's tired of the back and forth and wants to move on. She needs to end the forever that she once thought would last with her ex-lover. However, she bids farewell to him and says that now she is the only one who holds the key to her happiness.
In the second stanza, the singer says goodbye to the physical reminders of her past relationship, such as his picture and pillow. Deep inside, she is still emotionally bound to him, but she knows it's time to be strong for herself. She has to break out of the chains of her past to be genuinely free. The chorus repeats that she has to break these chains to love again, which is undoubtedly the most challenging thing in life.
Overall, the song Break These Chains is a powerful yet straightforward song. It tells the story of a woman's need for breaking away from her past and moving forward towards her brighter future. The song's message is a powerful one that anyone who has ever dealt with heartbreak can relate to, urging them to say goodbye to the past and start moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Break these chains around my heart
The author is requesting to free themselves from emotional pain.
Cut me loose and set me free
The author is asking for help to move on.
I can't stand to live my life
The author does not want to live her life trapped in her pain.
Bound to your memory
The author is still affected by memories of the person who hurt her.
The phone rings, it's three in the mornin'
The author is always reminded of the person who hurt her.
Who else could it be
The author knows it’s the person who hurt her calling.
You're gone but you try to keep it goin'
The person who hurt the author wants to keep communication open.
That's the last thing I need
The author is tired of the constant reminders of the person who hurt her.
Forever is over - now it's up to me
The author realizes that it's her responsibility to let go of her pain.
To (I gotta) break these chains
The author knows she must free herself from her emotional pain.
If I'm ever gonna love again
The author acknowledges that she has to heal first before loving again.
I gotta say goodbye and let it end
The author recognizes that she has to end things with the person who hurt her.
My heart is tellin' me if I'm gonna be free
The author's inner voice is telling her she needs to let go to be free.
It's time to put away your picture
The author wants to remove physical reminders of the person who hurt her.
Take your pillow from my bed
The author wants to remove emotional reminders of the person who hurt her.
I'm still bound to you, baby
The author is still affected by the person who hurt her.
But with every step
The author acknowledges her healing is a process.
I'm gettin' stronger - and I won't bend
The author is becoming stronger and more resolute in her journey towards healing.
Chains, chains, everybody changes
Everyone goes through changes, including the author.
Gonna have to be the one to break these chains
The author has to break free herself from her emotional pain.
Gonna have to walk away and break these chains
The author must move on and leave her emotional pain behind.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Major Bob Music, Inc. / Rio Bravo Music, Inc. / Castle Bound Music, Inc. / Hanna Bea Songs, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DEBORAH ALLEN, KYE FLEMING, MARY ANN KENNEDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kjinohio5897
Rad MillerJr.
That is Mary Ann Kennedy. She wrote this song along with Deborah and Kye Fleming. She's written a lot of well known songs and her and Pam Rose were a duo for a while. (Kennedy Rose) That is Mary Ann singing the background vocals on this track.
I think you'll like this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anVHw3YWL3M
Check out her webpage: http://www.maryannkennedy.com/about.html
@CCRoxtar
I have this & 20 other songs on an Anthology CD of Deborah. I grew up in the 1980s hearing her sing on the radio, "I've been wrong before, & I'm no stranger to a slammin' door." Thanks, Rhino, for helping keep the memories alive for me.
@barbiesexton9378
One of the best voices ever!!!
@cacjy6b
Another great video and another great song by Deborah Allen.I just wish more talent like this would grace the country music now days but I know this will never happen.Bless you Deborah Allen for giving us some great years of great music.
@ralphmoore6186
I have been a long time fan of Deborah Allen over 30 years since 1984 to be exact this is 1 of my favorite songs its helped me through difficult times
@Lasse-wf4dh
Im so exciting ,and i fell in love with Deborah Allen.Really beautiful country song.
@deborahallen5072
Thanks For The Love ❤️,You’re such amazing 🤩 kindly drop me your hangout just to get in touch with a great fan like you..❤️❤️
@dandross
Her two albums in the 90s were super duper dope. Unfortunately I was a preteen and had no money. Plus her albums were hard to find in the local newly opened Best Buy. Had to wait 20 years to hear these songs again.
@angelbott2313
When music was music
@BethsVictory
What a wonderful video and song...... Lordy, wish there's more like Deborah Allen. What singing with such heart and soul. RIP sweet Harley..... saw him in the background. Wounder Dog!
@genevahaven2704
I like this.Alot !!!