Adams dropped out of high school at age 16 to work in a shoe shop and make music. He formed a band named Whiskeytown in 1994; they disbanded in 1999 having released two full albums, Faithless Street and Strangers Almanac. Adams went on to put out his first solo record, Heartbreaker, in 2000. After a long delay, in 2001 Whiskeytown's third album Pneumonia was finally issued.
In 2002, Ryan contributed backing vocals on Butterfly in Reverse, from the Counting Crows album, Hard Candy; after Adam Duritz (Counting Crows lead singer) appeared on the album Gold.
Ryan is highly prolific, and in 2005 released one double album and two regular albums: Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights and 29, respectively. His album, 29, was produced by friend Ethan Johns (who also produced his first two albums, Heartbreaker and Gold). In between those two releases and his 2005 triple-header, Ryan released Demolition (a collection of out-takes), Love Is Hell and Rock N Roll. Unreleased studio albums include 48 Hours, Exile On Franklin Street and Suicide Handbook.
In addition, Adams worked with Jesse Malin to form the punk-rock group The Finger (under the pseudonyms, "Warren Peace" and "Irving Plaza" respectively), who released two E.P.s which were collected together to form We Are Fuck You, released on One Little Indian Records in 2003.
In 2006 Ryan went on a minor UK-tour and a minor US-tour along the west-coast and has streamed 11+ mini albums on his website, under numerous jokey pseudonyms (DJ Reggie, Werewolph, The Shit, Rhoda Ro, Ghetto Birds).
The following solo record, entitled Easy Tiger, was released on June 26, 2007. The newest and last record with his backing band The Cardinals, Cardinology, was released in October 2008 and followed by extensive touring through the UK, US and Australia.
In January 2009 he announced that he would be going on an indefinite hiatus from music. The Kindness Songfacts reports that the major reason for Adams’ temporary retirement was his struggles with Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that wrecks havoc on hearing and balance. Adams resumed performing in October 2010, and released his thirteenth studio album, Ashes & Fire, on October 11, 2011. His now ex-wife, pop singer and actress Mandy Moore, contributed some backing vocals.
Chains of Love
Ryan Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't have to take this
In the spaces in between sadness on the faces
I can see the chains of love
The chains
Talking 'bout the chains of love
Can't take us away
I don't wanna waste it
Better to have tried it all
Least we got to taste it
Locked up in the chains of love
We change
Caught up in the chains of love
Can't take us away
Clouds moving over the house
I think about those days
Wish I had something to relax my mind
Send me off to heaven
I've got nothing but time
Lightning in the sky above
Blinking, see the traces
Everything you are to me is bigger than the spaces
Between us in the chains of love
The chains
Locked up in the chains of love
Can't take us away
Can't take us away
Can't take us away
Can't take us away
In "Chains of Love" by Ryan Adams, he addresses a partner who seems to be struggling with sadness and is stuck in a vicious cycle in a relationship. The lyrics "Walk away slowly, you don't have to take this" show that the character is aware of the toxicity of their relationship and tries to suggest a way out. However, the chorus repeats "the chains of love" indicating that even though they may be aware of the issues, they are in a complicated web of emotions and maybe even codependency.
There's a sense of pessimism in the overall lyrics, and the line "storms are brewing in your heart, I don't wanna waste it" shows that even though there may be problems, the character is not willing to give up on the relationship. They would rather face the difficulties head-on, knowing that it's better to encounter storms than to never go through them at all. The final verse shows a longing for something to relax the mind while reminiscing about the times gone by. The song recognizes both the positive and negative aspects of being in love, and how it can result in feeling trapped while also being the only thing keeping two people together.
Line by Line Meaning
Walk away slowly
Leave the situation gradually and carefully
You don't have to take this
You're not obligated to endure this pain or suffering
In the spaces in between sadness on the faces
Amid the sorrowful expressions of people around us
I can see the chains of love
I can see how love can bind and restrict us
The chains
The emotional shackles that bind us to each other
Talking 'bout the chains of love
Discussing how love can both liberate and imprison us
Can't take us away
Our love cannot be destroyed or dismantled
Storms are brewing in your heart
You're feeling a lot of emotional turbulence within
I don't wanna waste it
I don't want to squander our time together
Better to have tried it all
It's preferable to have experienced everything fully
Least we got to taste it
At least we had a brief encounter with love
Locked up in the chains of love
Trapped within the bonds of our affection
We change
We adapt to the pressures and hardships of love
Caught up in the chains of love
Entangled and restricted by the ties of our affection
Clouds moving over the house
A metaphor for the transience and unpredictability of life
I think about those days
Reflecting on the past with nostalgia and longing
Wish I had something to relax my mind
Desiring a way to calm and quiet the mind
Send me off to heaven
Expressing a desire for relief and transcendence
I've got nothing but time
Feeling as though there is nothing to do but wait for a release from pain
Lightning in the sky above
The intense and dramatic nature of love and emotion
Blinking, see the traces
Seeing the remnants or consequences of our actions
Everything you are to me is bigger than the spaces
Your significance and impact on me transcends the distance or obstacles between us
Between us in the chains of love
Despite the restrictions and limitations of our love
Can't take us away
Our love cannot be destroyed or dismantled
Can't take us away
Our love cannot be destroyed or dismantled
Can't take us away
Our love cannot be destroyed or dismantled
Can't take us away
Our love cannot be destroyed or dismantled
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind