The Chain of Love
Encyclopedia
"The Chain of Love" is the title of a song written by Rory Lee Feek
and Jonnie Barnett
, and recorded by country
singer Clay Walker
. It was released in January 2000 as the third single from his 1999 album Live, Laugh, Love
, "The Chain of Love" reached a peak of #3 on the Billboard
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
) charts, providing Walker with his thirteenth Top Ten hit on that chart. It was also his second Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
.
, "I was in Denver the other day, got off an airplane, got on the bus and went to a restaurant. This guy, about 6-foot-6, walked up to us and told us at the table, "This song is the only song that ever made me cry.' He said, "I wouldn't just say that to anybody.' Then he turned around and walked off, never said another word, didn't ask for an autograph, nothing else. He just wanted to share his story." Walker also revealed the song was not intended to be a single and said, "Sometimes the cream rises to the top. This song was a sleeper. It's just one of those shockers where people come out of the woods to talk about it. It's pretty special when you touch people like that." In another interview Walker said, "It's just great story song, where the ending takes you by surprise. It still gives me chills."
Jonnie Barnett and Rory Lee Feek originally wrote a short-story version of "The Chain of Love" that appeared in Chicken Soup For The Country Soul
which was released in 1998.
, "The Chain of Love" centralizes on a series of characters who, by helping each other in some way, form a "chain of love" amongst them.
In the first verse, a male character named Joe is driving, when he notices a lady whose Mercedes-Benz
is stopped with a flat tire. He then stops and changes the tire for her, and after she asks how much she should pay him, he replies that she can repay by continuing "the chain of love".
In the second verse, the lady has headed down the road to a small café
. While eating there, she notices that the waitress is pregnant and exhausted. After paying the waitress with a $100 bill, she (the lady in the Mercedes) leaves behind a note on the napkin without accepting her change. Written on the napkin is the same request stated by Joe in the first chorus — an invitation to continue the chain of love.
The waitress, by the third verse, has returned to her home. Joining her husband in bed, she begins to think of the money and the note left by the lady, before turning to her husband and whispering to him, "Everything's gonna be alright / I love you, Joe."
, in his review of Walker's album, described the song as being "a story song so sickly sweet and unlikely, it comes off like an episode of Touched by an Angel
." Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time
said that the song was a "heartwarming story" and one of the stronger tracks on the album. Phyllis Stark of Billboard listed "The Chain of Love" as the tenth best country single of 2000.
for this song features Walker singing at an abandoned drive-in theater
. The music video was directed by Michael Cargile and was filmed in Houston, Texas. The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2000 Christian Country Music Awards.
.
Rory Lee Feek
Rory Lee Feek is an American country music singer and songwriter. In his career, he has written singles for Clay Walker, Blake Shelton, Tracy Byrd and other artists. He and his wife, Joey Martin Feek, comprise the duo Joey + Rory, who placed third on the first season of the CMT talent show Can You...
and Jonnie Barnett
Jonnie Barnett
Jonathan Barnett Kaye , known professionally as Jonnie Barnett, was an American musician. In the 1970s, he performed as an opening act for several acts such as Tom Waits, Cheech and Chong, and Frank Zappa...
, and recorded by country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Clay Walker
Clay Walker
Ernest Clayton "Clay" Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You," which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die." Both singles were included on...
. It was released in January 2000 as the third single from his 1999 album Live, Laugh, Love
Live, Laugh, Love
-Critical reception:Paul Verna of Billboard wrote "Clay Walker is quietly establishing himself as one of today's leading men in country. He has always had a strong live act, and that quality has been increasingly evident on his albums." Verna also listed "Holding Her and Loving You" and "If a Man...
, "The Chain of Love" reached a peak of #3 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts, providing Walker with his thirteenth Top Ten hit on that chart. It was also his second Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Background
Walker told The Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
, "I was in Denver the other day, got off an airplane, got on the bus and went to a restaurant. This guy, about 6-foot-6, walked up to us and told us at the table, "This song is the only song that ever made me cry.' He said, "I wouldn't just say that to anybody.' Then he turned around and walked off, never said another word, didn't ask for an autograph, nothing else. He just wanted to share his story." Walker also revealed the song was not intended to be a single and said, "Sometimes the cream rises to the top. This song was a sleeper. It's just one of those shockers where people come out of the woods to talk about it. It's pretty special when you touch people like that." In another interview Walker said, "It's just great story song, where the ending takes you by surprise. It still gives me chills."
Jonnie Barnett and Rory Lee Feek originally wrote a short-story version of "The Chain of Love" that appeared in Chicken Soup For The Country Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul is a series of books, usually featuring a collection of short and dense inspirational stories and motivational essays. The 101 stories in the first book of the series were compiled by motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.There have been over 200 titles...
which was released in 1998.
Content
A mid-tempo song in the key of D MajorD major
D major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature consists of two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor....
, "The Chain of Love" centralizes on a series of characters who, by helping each other in some way, form a "chain of love" amongst them.
In the first verse, a male character named Joe is driving, when he notices a lady whose Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
is stopped with a flat tire. He then stops and changes the tire for her, and after she asks how much she should pay him, he replies that she can repay by continuing "the chain of love".
In the second verse, the lady has headed down the road to a small café
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
. While eating there, she notices that the waitress is pregnant and exhausted. After paying the waitress with a $100 bill, she (the lady in the Mercedes) leaves behind a note on the napkin without accepting her change. Written on the napkin is the same request stated by Joe in the first chorus — an invitation to continue the chain of love.
The waitress, by the third verse, has returned to her home. Joining her husband in bed, she begins to think of the money and the note left by the lady, before turning to her husband and whispering to him, "Everything's gonna be alright / I love you, Joe."
Reception
Critic Pat McDonald of The Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
, in his review of Walker's album, described the song as being "a story song so sickly sweet and unlikely, it comes off like an episode of Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
." Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time
Country Standard Time
Country Standard Time is a website dedicated to country music and related genres such as Bluegrass and Rockabilly. It provides news and musical reviews pertaining to the genre. It was established in 1992 by Jeffrey B. Remz as a print magazine, which was first published only in New England but went...
said that the song was a "heartwarming story" and one of the stronger tracks on the album. Phyllis Stark of Billboard listed "The Chain of Love" as the tenth best country single of 2000.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for this song features Walker singing at an abandoned drive-in theater
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
. The music video was directed by Michael Cargile and was filmed in Houston, Texas. The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2000 Christian Country Music Awards.
Chart performance
This song entered the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart at number 74 in late 1999 as an album cut. It was officially released as a single in early 2000, and re-entered the country chart at #68 on the chart dated January 15, 2000. It charted for 34 weeks on that chart, and quickly climbed to #3 on the chart dated May 27, 2000, where it held for two weeks, before falling to #4 afterwards. The next week, the song climbed back to #3 for two more weeks and then fell. It also peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Charts
| Chart (1999–2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 40 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 6 |
Year-end charts
| End of year chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 19 |