"The Chain of Love" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Clay Walker | ||||
from the album Live, Laugh, Love | ||||
Released | January 10, 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1999 | |||
Genre | Country | |||
Length | 5:04 (album version) 3:55 (radio edit) | |||
Label | Giant | |||
Songwriter(s) | Rory Feek Jonnie Barnett | |||
Producer(s) | Doug Johnson Clay Walker | |||
Clay Walker singles chronology | ||||
|
"The Chain of Love" is a song written by Rory Feek and Jonnie Barnett, and recorded by American country music singer Charlie Pride and then Clay Walker. It was released in January 2000 by Clay Walker as the third single from his album Live, Laugh, Love . "The Chain of Love" reached a peak of number 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.
A mid-tempo song in the key of D Major, "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 (who is played by Walker in the music video) is driving home in an old dilapidated Pontiac, 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 him by continuing "the chain of love", as in, going on to help someone else, just as Joe has been helped by others in his past.
In the second verse, the lady has headed down the road to a small café. While eating there, she notices that the waitress is heavily pregnant and exhausted. After paying the waitress with a $100 bill, the lady leaves behind a note for the waitress on a napkin without accepting her change. Written on the napkin is the same request stated by Joe in the first chorus —
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. It is then revealed that her husband is Joe, the same person who changed the tire for the lady ("Everything's gonna be all right / I love you, Joe.").
Walker told The Dallas Morning News , "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." [1] In another interview Walker said, "It's just great story song, where the ending takes you by surprise. It still gives me chills." [2]
Music critic Pat McDonald of 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 ." [3] Brian Wahlert of Country Standard Time said that the song was a "heartwarming story" and one of the stronger tracks on the album. [4] Phyllis Stark of Billboard listed "The Chain of Love" as the tenth best country single of 2000. [5]
The music video 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. [6] The music video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2000 Christian Country Music Awards. [7]
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 number 68 on the chart dated January 15, 2000. It charted for 34 weeks on that chart, and quickly climbed to number 3 on the chart dated May 27, 2000, where it held for two weeks, before falling to number 4 afterwards. The next week, the song climbed back to number 3 for two more weeks and then fell. It also peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Charts
| Year-end charts
|
Ernest Clayton 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 chart, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die". Both singles were included on his self-titled debut album, released in 1993 via Giant Records. He stayed with the label until its 2001 closure, later recording for Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records Nashville, and Curb Records.
"The Chain" is a song by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released on their 1977 album Rumours. It is the only song from the album with writing credits for all five members.
Live, Laugh, Love is the fifth studio album by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released August 24, 1999, on Giant Records. The album was certified gold by the RIAA and reached number 55 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. "She's Always Right", the title track, "The Chain of Love" and "Once in a Lifetime" were all released as singles, reaching numbers 16, 11, 3 and 50, respectively, on the Hot Country Songs chart. In addition, Walker's rendition of the Earl Thomas Conley single "Holding Her and Loving You" charted from unsolicited airplay received prior to the album's release.
"She Works Hard for the Money" is a song by American singer Donna Summer and the title track from her eleventh studio album of the same name (1983). The song was written by Michael Omartian and Summer, and produced by the former. It was released as the lead single on May 10, 1983 from the album by Mercury Records. It became a hit for Summer, reaching number one for a three-week stay atop the Billboard R&B singles chart, number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and number three on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. The single ended up as Billboard's 15th-best performing song of 1983. In addition, Summer earned a nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 1984 Grammy Awards, where she performed the song live as the opening for the ceremony.
"I Can't Sleep" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his album A Few Questions, it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Walker co-wrote the song with fellow country singer Chely Wright.
"A Few Questions" is a song written by Ray Scott, Phillip Moore and Adam Wheeler, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in April 2003 as the lead-off single and title track from his album A Few Questions. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts.
"Somebody" is a country music song written by Dave Berg, Sam Tate, and Annie Tate. The song was originally recorded by American country music artist Mark Wills for his fourth studio album Loving Every Minute (2001). The song was later recorded by Reba McEntire as the second single from her 25th studio album Room to Breathe (2003) on December 22, 2003. The song was released rather quickly due to the underperformance of the album's lead single "I'm Gonna Take That Mountain", which had only reached number 14 on the country charts.
"Rumor Has It" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It was released in February 1997 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. The song was written by Walker and M. Jason Greene.
"What's It To You" is a debut song written by Robert Ellis Orrall and Curtis Wright, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released In July 1993 by Giant Records as his debut single, and was served as the lead-off single from his self-titled debut album (1993).
"All-American Girl" is a song composed by American country pop singer Carrie Underwood, Ashley Gorley and Kelley Lovelace. It is the second single from Underwood's second studio album, Carnival Ride, released in the United States on December 17, 2007..
"Bigger Than The Beatles" is a song written by Jeb Stuart Anderson and Steve Dukes, and recorded by American country music artist Joe Diffie. It was released in November 1995 as the lead single from the album, Life's So Funny. The song reached Number One on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, becoming the fifth and final Number One single of Diffie's career. It also reached number-one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
Clay Walker is an American country music artist. His discography comprises eleven studio albums and a greatest hits album, as well as 36 singles. Walker's first four studio albums—Clay Walker, If I Could Make a Living, Hypnotize the Moon and Rumor Has It—are all certified platinum by the RIAA, and his greatest hits album and Live, Laugh, Love are each certified gold by the RIAA. Clay Walker is also certified platinum by the CRIA, while If I Could Make a Living and Hypnotize the Moon are certified gold.
"If I Could Make a Living" is a song written by Alan Jackson, Keith Stegall and Roger Murrah, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in September 1994 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. It was Walker's fifth chart entry, and became his fourth Number One hit on the Billboard country charts in November 1994. It also reached #21 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts, and on the Canadian RPM country charts, it followed Jackson's "Livin' on Love" at Number One.
"Heads Carolina, Tails California" is a song written by Tim Nichols and Mark D. Sanders and recorded by American country music artist Jo Dee Messina. The song was released in January 1996 as her debut single and served as the lead-off single for her self-titled debut album. The song reached the Top 10 on both the U.S. and Canadian country charts.
"Cowboy Casanova" is a song by American singer Carrie Underwood. It was written by Underwood, Mike Elizondo, Brett James. It was released on September 14, 2009, by Arista Nashville as the lead single from her third studio album, Play On. The song sold 2,300,000 copies, making it the fourth-biggest single of her career behind "Jesus, Take the Wheel", "Before He Cheats", and "Blown Away".
"She Won't Be Lonely Long" is a song written by Galen Griffin, Doug Johnson and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in December 2009 as the first single and title track from his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is his most successful charting single since "The Chain of Love" in 2000.
"Marry Me" is a song written by Pat Monahan and recorded by the group Train, for their fifth studio album Save Me, San Francisco. The song was released on October 25, 2010 as the album's third single. The single peaked in the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first time the band has had three consecutive top 40 hits and also had three songs from one album chart on the Hot 100.
"Live, Laugh, Love" is a song written by Allen Shamblin and Gary Nicholson, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in August 1999 as the second single and title track from his album of the same name. "Live, Laugh, Love" reached a peak of number 11 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts. It also peaked at number 21 in Canada and at number 65 on the Hot 100.
"She's Always Right" is a song written by Richie McDonald, Phil Barnhart and Ed Hill, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 1999 as the first single from his album Live, Laugh, Love. It peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming his 17th Top 20 hit on that chart.
"Like We Never Said Goodbye" is a song written by Cory Batten and Tiffany Goss and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2012 as the third second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is also the 32nd single of Walker's career.