The Pretenders - Back On The Chain Gang HQ Music

"Back on the Chain Gang" is a single by The Pretenders released in November 1982. The song was also released on The King of Comedy soundtrack album (March 1983) and later included on The Pretenders' next album Learning to Crawl in January 1984. It reached number five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (the band's highest charting U.S. single), number four on Billboard's Top Tracks chart and number 17 in the United Kingdom.
The song was originally going to be about Ray Davies, leader of the band The Kinks. Hynde and Davies were a couple and had a daughter together, but the meaning of the song changed after James Honeyman-Scott, the Pretenders guitarist, died of a drug overdose at the age of 25 in 1982.
The memorable chain-gang chant heard during the chorus of the song echoes a similar chant on Sam Cooke's song "Chain Gang."

(p) 1982 Sire Records
(c) 2009 Warner Bros Records
(c) 2009 Warner Music Group
http://www.sirerecords.com | http://www.warnermusic.com

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  Music

[robert82318]

I feel old

[johnnycabot]

I miss videos like this - no lame special effects...just simple directing and basic symbolism combined with a good song.

I'll say it yet again: the 1980s...when MTv was cool.

[Aquarius Moonbeam]

reminds me of six feet under

[PorygonFanatics]

Pigeon from hell? Run!

[Chris Strakbein]

None of you understand what she is saying in this song.....

[rivermaster2003]

I used to watch MTV back then when it was SO good. She still gives me a boner.

[navidhendrix]

Classic. Pure classic.

[Contakum]

No woman could have been sexier than Chrissie Hynde was in this video.

[rizay foshizay]

Oh yeah.. back when the "M" in MTV stood for Music... I miss those days.

[tall32guy]

Love Chrissie's chorus electric guitar at the beginning (and throughout the song).:)

[blown46pwr]

Kennedy and most certainly Daisy Fuentes, shwing!

[MrPhil0267]

You were twenty two when you bought this album and I was fifteen and not happy in school. This song always put me in a better mood. And for some reason it has always reminded me of my brother. Good song!!