Album: Rumours (1977)

License This Song 

• Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise
  Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies
  
  And if, you don't love me now
  You will never love me again
  I can still hear you saying
  You would never break the chain (never break the chain)
  
  And if you don't love me now (if you don't love me now)
  You will never love me again
  (Well) I can still hear you saying
  You would never (break) break, never (never break) break the chain (ah)
  
  Listen to the wind blow, down comes the night
  Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies
  Break the silence, damn the dark, damn the light
  
  And if you don't love me now
  You will never love me again
  I can still hear you saying
  You'd never break the chain, never break the chain
  
  And if you don't love me now (if you don't love me now)
  You will never love me again
  (Well) I can still hear you saying
  You'd never break, never break the chain
  
  If you do not love me now (if you don't love me now)
  Never, never, never, never love me again
  (Well) I can still hear you saying
  You would (you'd) never break, never break the chain (yeah, yeah)
  
  Chain (baby) keep us together
  Chain (baby) keep us together (you come running in the shadow)
  Chain keep us together (you come running, yes, I'm running)
  Chain keep us together
  
  (Thank you all for coming tonight, uh)
  (It's good to be back playing LA)
  (It's been about two years since we've been on the road)
  (And a lot of people were wondering what happened to us)
  (I mean a lot of things had happened, had we broken up? whatever)
  (But we're here to show you that we just refuse to go away, so) Writer/s: Christine McVie, John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood, Stephanie Nicks
  Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Universal Music Publishing Group
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 17

• Tom Shaw from TexasBrotherman, You are reading the lyrics all wrong...
• Brotherman from MarylandThis song makes me think of a person being treated like a just a pet, a slave, a alien from another world which makes you think you're treated different because you are different. But your not gonna put up with it because you are a person with emotions & should be treated with the respect like everyone else.
  
  They say you would never break the chain, but that's not up to them.
  
  They say the chain keep us together, but you are a free spirit running in the shadows.
  
  Almost like a slavery song for Animals
• Sally from NycFunny how mishearing a word completely changes the meaning of a song. In this song, I heard "IF you never love me again" it reminded me of my relationship with an ex-boyfriend. We remained close after the breakup, even nursed each other through serious illnesses. It feels to me like we're still connected by some thing really strong, like a chain, even though romantic love has gone and will most likely not return.
• Mark From Nevada City from Nevada City CaThe above 'facts' are really messed up. I watched an interview with the band last night, here's how they said it was written: Mick had a beat going, to which Lindsey started some intense soloing, then John joined in and composed his classic bassline on the spot as he tried to find his place in the jam. All they had was this jam, which became the closing portion of the eventual song. Not having a real song yet, Stevie remembered a lyric & melody she had laying around from her Buckingham/Nicks days (which wasn't at all about her relationship with Lindsey), and Lindsey took this and gave it the opening chords and arrangement. Later, though the song was more or less complete, Lindsey removed large portions of the lyrics and added his own, according to Rick Dashut, their engineer. Christine later said she had no idea what Stevie's lyrics were about but they sounded great. You can find this story on "Classic Albums" on the AXS channel.
• Seventhmist from 7th HeavenWhat better break-up line than "Damn your love; damn your lies!"
• Esskayess from Dallas, TxWhat a wrenching (but profitable) experience it must be, creating a song that airs one's own "personal laundry." Brings to mind the Mamas and the Papas' song, "I Saw Her Again."
• Camille from Toronto, OhRumours was my favorite album at the time it came out. I would play it incessantly. This song used to have such an emotional impact on me. That was well over 30 years ago, and nowadays, I think this song is just okay. The album don't resonate with me like it used to. The songs by Fleetwood Mac used to seem to much deeper and mysterious to me way back when. I know it has to do with the band putting their feelings so well into words and music, expressing so much emotional turmoil, which at that time reflected what was going on in my own life. Now I don't suffer from the angst so I don't relate as much to it.
• L from Niagara Falls, OnListen with headphones and before the song even starts, you can hear someone (Buckingham?) whisper "F***"
  L-NF
• Oldpink from New Castle, InA very angry song, suffused with reproach and accusation.
  One of the very best of the post-Green songs from Mac.
• Bryan from Atlanta, GaEver notice that in the breaks when nothing is playing, you can hear Mick keeping time with a very faint "ch ch ch -- ch ch"? I never heard that until I bought the Rumours CD in 1985 and turned the volume way up in those breaks.
• Elizabeth from Ithaca, NyI think of this song as a "band" song. I think it is about how a band struggles to stay together and that the "chain" is what is keeping them together. This means they have this incredible bond that keeps them together and they just can't seem to break the bond no matter what drama happens in the band.
• Bella from PretoriaRumours is quite an interresting(good Melin,I forgot whether that has one or two 'r's!) CD, because they wrote a lot of songs for each other.It must have been...interresting to make.I'm SO glad the band stayed together despite the breakup stuff!That's why I dig the part where they say 'I can still hear you saying we will never break the chain'.My parents used to play this music all the time.I was just reminded of it when I heard it on TV a few years ago.That's when I fell in love with FM.That was a VERY important day in history!
• Constance from Dallas, TxPhenomenal Song! The guitar at the in with Lindsey, Priceless! They all wrote the song! You can hear all of their talents in this one song. The reason i like Fleetwood Mac is because listening to their music is like getting five bands in one. They brought their unique style to the song so track 5 would sound completly different than track one.
• Dessire from El Cajon, CaFirst of all almost all the songfact is wrong :/ Stevie did not write this song for lindsey. she wrote ot on the buckingham-niks era. And John Mcvie doesnt even write songs... I t was all like this. They had those rffs for the song. which is the ending of it. John was playing the bass riff and they just needed lyrics. and THEN Stevie ran to get the lyrics she had from the buckingham nicks era. Lindsey was working on the song and he didnt want any help for it. and well they all ended up making the song. No one in the band knew what stevie was writing about xD and it is the ONLY song recorded live :D
• Rob from Wilkes-barre, PaThis song just like the album is amazing. It's amazing how much emotion is shown in Rumours and that they could even create such a timeless album as they truly were on the verge of imploding as a band.
• Kali from South Australia, Australia
• Apb from Farmington, CtOne of the high points in rock history comes when that throbbing single electric guitar note fades in before the close of the song.

More Songfacts:

Walkin' On The SunSmash Mouth

You wouldn't know it from the upbeat melody, but "Walkin' On The Sun" by Smash Mouth is about the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.

How To Save A LifeThe Fray

"How To Save A Life" by The Fray was inspired by a teenager lead singer Isaac Slade mentored at a camp for troubled youth in Colorado.

Just DanceLady Gaga

"Just Dance" was Lady Gaga's first hit, and it also brought the techno-synth sound that had been popular in Europe for the previous decade to the United States.

Don't ChaThe Pussycat Dolls

Sir Mix-A-Lot is credited as a writer on The Pussycat Dolls' biggest hit, "Don't Cha," because it interpolates his 1988 song "Swass," where he goes, "Don't you wish your boyfriend was swass like me?"

Can't Get You Out Of My HeadKylie Minogue

Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" received more airplay during the 2000s than any other song in the UK.

Rock And RollLed Zeppelin

According to Jason Bonham, who has filled in for his father on Led Zeppelin reunions, "Rock And Roll" is the hardest Led Zep song to play on drums.

Editor's Picks

Eric ClaptonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really write "Cocaine" while on cocaine? This question and more in the Clapton edition of Fact or Fiction.

What Musicians Are Related to Other Musicians?Song Writing

A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.

Bible LyricsMusic Quiz

Rockers, rappers and pop stars have been known to quote the Bible in their songs. See if you match the artist to the biblical lyric.

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.