They began writing and recording their own music in 1956, and their first hit song came in 1957, with "Bye Bye Love", written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. The song hit No. 1 in the spring of 1957, and additional hits would follow through 1958, many of them written by the Bryants, including "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", and "Problems". In 1960, they signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records and recorded "Cathy's Clown", written by the brothers themselves, which was their biggest selling single. The brothers enlisted in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in 1961, and their output dropped off, though additional hit singles continued through 1962, with "That's Old Fashioned (That's the Way Love Should Be)" being their last top-10 hit.
Long-simmering disputes with Wesley Rose, the CEO of Acuff-Rose Music, which managed the group, a growing drug usage in the 1960s, as well as changing tastes in popular music, led to the group's decline in popularity in its native U.S., though the brothers continued to release hit singles in the U.K. and Canada, and had many highly successful tours throughout the 1960s. In the early 1970s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings, and in 1973 they officially broke up. Starting in 1983, the brothers got back together, and would continue to perform periodically until Phil's death in 2014. Don died seven years later.
The group was highly influential on the music of the generation that followed it. Many of the top acts of the 1960s were heavily influenced by the close-harmony singing and acoustic guitar playing of the Everly Brothers, including the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Bee Gees, and Simon & Garfunkel. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everly Brothers No. 1 on its list of the 20 Greatest Duos of All Time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class of 1986, and into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Don was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019, earning the organization's first Iconic Riff Award for his distinctive rhythm guitar intro to the Everlys' massive 1957 hit "Wake Up Little Susie".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Everly_Brothers
Chains
The Everly Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The Everly Brothers' "Chains" is a song about being trapped by love. The singer of the song is in love with someone who has him "locked up in chains" - but not physical chains - these chains are of love. The chorus repeats several times that "it's chains of love got a hold on me", emphasizing the idea that love can be a trap, just like physical chains. The singer is unable to break free from the hold of love and is imprisoned by it. He longs to be with his loved one and kiss her sweet lips, but he is unable to because of these chains of love.
The verses of the song emphasize the idea that the singer is physically unable to break free from the chains. He can't run around or be free because of the hold that love has on him. He also expresses his admiration for the object of his affections, telling her she is fine and he would like to hold her if he could break free. The song is a classic example of the theme of being held captive by love. It explores the idea that love can be a powerful and even dangerous force, causing people to feel trapped and unable to leave.
Line by Line Meaning
Chains, my baby's got me locked up in chains
My lover has me held captive with the emotional ties of our relationship
And they ain't the kind that you can see
These chains are not physical restraints, but rather a binding force of love
Whoa, it's chains of love got a hold on me, yeah
I am trapped by the power of my affection for my partner
Chains, well I can't break away from these chains
I am unable to escape the hold that love has over me
Can't run around 'cause I'm not free
My feeling of captivity is preventing me from living my life as I want
Whoa, these chains of love won't let me be, yeah
My love for my partner is a constant burden, and I am unable to break free from it
Now believe me when I tell you I think you're fine
I truly find my partner attractive and desirable
I'd like to hold you, but, darling, I'm imprisoned by these
Despite my desire to be close to my partner, I am emotionally held back by the weight of my love for them
I wanna tell you pretty baby, your lips look sweet
I am still very much enamored with my lover
I'd like to kiss them, But I can't break away from all these
My strong feelings for my partner are preventing me from following through on my desires
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Carole King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jim Terry
It was not their 1st recorded hit. It was never released by the Everly Brothers.
Chris Wayne
So The Beatles didn't hear this version before their recording?
Leandro Testa
@Chris Wayne I guess not (otherwise their version would be slightly better, I think)
Sashi Powell
This is the first version of the song I ever heard...it was on WQXI in Atlanta..before I heard Beatle's version...
Snowy BWM
It was recorded in 62 but not released until 64.
Peter Tournas
It wasn't a hit for them because they decided not to release it. No promos were cut, no singles released, and it wasn't a track on any album. Nothing was cut from the master until they released it in the UK in 1984 on the "Nice Guys" album. It didn't get released in the US until years later. The Beatles wouldn't have been able to hear this version since there were no promos to sent to radio stations and it was never on a record until 1984.