Diana Ross and The Supremes was the new name used by The Supremes from 1967… Read Full Bio ↴Diana Ross and The Supremes was the new name used by The Supremes from 1967 to 1970. It was Motown boss Berry Gordy's idea to explicitly make Diana Ross the group's front woman.

The Supremes were a hugely successful Motown all-female singing group active from 1959 until 1977, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway showtunes, psychedelia and disco. Second only to The Beatles in terms of records sales and chart success, The Supremes were the most successful American musical act of the 1960s, delivering twelve #1 hits between 1964 and 1969, many of them written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross, and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglas public housing project in Detroit, were the sister act to The Primes (later The Temptations). In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes.

Martin left at the end of 1961, and Ross, Ballard, and Wilson carried on as a trio. After they achieved success in 1964 with Ross as the lead singer, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross and the Supremes in 1967. Ballard left the group that same year because of personal differences and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong.

Diana Ross left the group for a history-making solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed frequently, with Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene all becoming members before the group ended its eighteen-year existence in 1977.

Chains of Love
Diana Ross and the Supremes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Please don't ever break these chains of love
You've wrapped around me
'Cause I've been so happy darling
Ever since the day you've bound me

So tighter, pull 'em tighter
Till I feel love's sweet pain
'Cause these chains of love

Keep me from going insane

Love, oh love sweet love
Comes but once in a lifetime
The only love I need is yours
And oh, darling, I hope you need mine

So tighter, pull 'em tighter
Till I feel love's sweet pain
'Cause these chains of love
Keep me from going insane

I felt so sure I could resist you
My mistake was the first time I kissed you
Now I'm caught in a web of my own making

My heart's full of love and it's yours for the taking
Ooh, take it, baby don't break it
Just like a thief in the night
You stole my heart away
But now that you stolen it darling
I've only got one thing to say

Tighter, pull 'em tighter
Till I feel love's sweet pain
'Cause these chains of love
Keep me from going insane

These chains of love
Tighter, tighter, tighter these chains
Chains of love
Baby, baby, baby these chains
Chains of love

Lock 'em up, lock 'em up, lock 'em up
Chains

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Diana Ross and the Supremes's song Chains of Love are about the strength and intensity of love. The singer expresses her desire for her love to never break the chains of love that have bound her to her lover. She tells her lover to pull the chains tighter until she feels love’s sweet pain as it is the pain that will keep her from going insane. The lyrics showcase the idea that though love can be painful, it is worth the pain and is something that comes once in a lifetime. The singer believes that the only love she needs is her lover's love and hopes that he needs hers too. She expresses how she is caught in a web of her own making, as she underestimated the power of love and fell for her lover. Nonetheless, she proclaims her heart to be full of love and hers for the taking.

The lyrics of Chains of Love highlights the idea that love is a strong force, and once it binds two people, it's hard to break free from its grasp. The chains the singer refers to in the lyrics act as a metaphor for the grip love has on her, and she revels in it. The use of metaphors in the lyrics is also prominent in the singer's description of love's bittersweet pain, which she desires to feel more intensely. The song also emphasizes the idea of giving in to love when it is too strong and too powerful to resist, even when it may lead to pain. Ultimately the song embodies the beauty of unconditional love and its ability to keep people sane through life's hardships.

Line by Line Meaning

Please don't ever break these chains of love
I beg you not to ever break the bonds of our love

You've wrapped around me
That you've entwined around my heart

'Cause I've been so happy darling
Because I've been filled with joy, honey

Ever since the day you've bound me
Since the day you've secured my heart

So tighter, pull 'em tighter
Hold me tighter, make our love strong

Till I feel love's sweet pain
Until I feel a pleasant ache from our love

'Cause these chains of love
Because these bonds of love

Keep me from going insane
Prevent me from losing my mind

Love, oh love sweet love
Love, lovely love

Comes but once in a lifetime
Comes just one time in a life

The only love I need is yours
I only require your love