Home Cookin' is a small ensemble that's big in talent. The lineup tends to … Read Full Bio ↴Home Cookin' is a small ensemble that's big in talent. The lineup tends to shift a bit in terms of personnel but never in the quality of talent represented. Vocalist Brenda Boykin can be heard on the combo's albums Home Cookin' and Afrobilly Soul Stew. The former, a Blue Dot Records release in 1997, features a number of hot classics, among them "Since I Met You Baby" and "She'll Have to Go." It also includes a few Boykin-penned numbers, such as "The Road I Choose" and "Tickle Me." Like Boykin, highly regarded blues guitarist Anthony Paule appears on both albums. So, too, do bass player Tim Wagar and drummer Tyler Eng. Pianist Jim Pugh, who has worked with both Chris Isaak and Robert Cray, appears on all but two of the self-titled album's 14 tracks. He, too, returned for the 2000 Blue Dot release Afrobilly Soul Stew, which also featured saxophonist Charles McNeal. Like its debut, the band's sophomore effort also included a number of songs written by Boykin, among them "Zydeco Gumbo" and "Brown Sugar Baby."

In 2000, Home Cookin' played Belgium's Ecaussinnes Spring Blues Festival. The band also performed throughout Italy that same year. In 1998, the Mean Street Blues compilation featured a cut from the combo's debut album. Guitarist Paule and singer Boykin previously performed together for almost a decade as members of the San Francisco-based Johnny Nocturne Band. Boykin also frequently performs with guitarist Eric Swinderman, and has spent time in an outfit dubbed Brenda Boykin & the Bad Boys. The Bay Area Music Awards (Bammies) honored her in 1997 with a nomination in the category of Best Vocalist. In addition, both Boykin and Paule have put out solo albums. ~Bio by Linda Seida

Chains
Home Cookin' 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

The lyrics to Home Cookin's song "Chains" is about being trapped in a relationship that's defined by love. The song is a metaphor that compares the singer's inability to break away from their lover to being in physical chains. The opening lines, "Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains, And they ain't the kind that you can see" suggests that the chains the singer is talking about are emotional chains. The theme of the song revolves around the idea that love can be a prison, and the singer is unable to break free from it.

The lyrics also suggest that the singer is aware of the situation but can't find a way out. The lines "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" suggest that the singer is torn between wanting to be with their lover and being unable to leave. They're locked up in their emotions, and it feels like they're in a hopeless situation. The lyrics convey a sense of longing and desperation.

Line by Line Meaning

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
The singer's lover has control over them, causing them to feel trapped and limited in their actions and decisions.

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
These chains are figurative, not physical, and therefore cannot be easily identified or removed.

Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me. Yeah!
The singer is acknowledging that these chains are a result of their love for their partner, and that they are struggling to break free despite the negative effects.

Chains, well I can't break away from these chains,
The artist expresses their inability to escape from the hold their partner has on them, despite wanting to be released from it.

Can't run around 'cause I'm not free.
The artist feels restricted and unable to live freely because of their partner's control over them.

Whoa, these chains of love won't let me be. Yeah!
The singer reiterates that their love for their partner is the cause of their entrapment, and that they are hopeless to escape it.

Now believe me when I tell you I think you're fine.
The singer compliments their partner's appearance and asks them to trust that they genuinely feel that way.

I'd like to hold you, but, darling, I'm imprisoned by these
The artist desires physical closeness with their partner, but their emotional entrapment prevents them from acting on that desire.

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
The artist repeats the opening line to emphasize the hold their partner has on them.

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
Again, the artist reminds listeners that the chains are not physical, but rather emotional or psychological.

Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me, Yeah!
The final repetition is sung with emphasis on the word 'love', further emphasizing the emotional nature of the singer's entrapment.

I wanna tell you pretty baby, your lips look sweet.
The artist continues to express desire for their partner physically, particularly focusing on their lips.

I'd like to kiss them, But I can't break away from all these
The singer notes once again that their emotional chains have prevented them from acting on their physical desires.

Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains,
The final line repeats once more, emphasizing the central theme of emotional entrapment in the song.

And they ain't the kind that you can see.
The song concludes with the same reminder that the chains are not physical, and thus not easily identifiable or easy to break free from.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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