Woman in Chains
Encyclopedia
"Woman in Chains" is a hit song by the British band Tears for Fears
, released as the second single from their 1989 album The Seeds of Love
.
The single reached the Top 40 in the UK, US, Australia
, Ireland
, Italy
and New Zealand
, and was a Top 20 hit in Canada
, France
and in the Netherlands
. The studio cut features Phil Collins
on drums, and is also notable for guest vocals from female singer Oleta Adams
who would later go on to achieve a successful solo career.
The song was re-released in 1992 (with a different B-side and now credited to "Tears For Fears featuring Oleta Adams
") in order to capitalise on the recent solo success of Oleta Adams
and to promote the Tears for Fears Greatest Hits compilation Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92)
, this time reaching #57 in the UK.
: "I was reading some feminist literature at the time and I discovered that there are societies in the world still in existence today that are non-patriarchal. They don't have the man at the top and the women at the bottom. They're matricentric - they have the woman at the centre and these societies are a lot less violent, a lot less greedy and there's generally less animosity... but the song is also about how men traditionally play down the feminine side of their characters and how both men and women suffer for it.... I think men in a patriarchal society are sold down the river a bit - okay, maybe we're told that we're in control but there are also a hell of a lot of things that we miss out on, which women are allowed to be".
The song appeared briefly in an early episode of Baywatch
.
The song was later sampled in the S.A.S. single "So Free" featuring Cam'ron
and on Uneasy Listening Vol. 1 by DJ Z-Trip
and DJ P.
) and is interspersed with shots of the band and guest vocalist Oleta Adams
performing the song. The video does not however feature guest drummer Phil Collins
.
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
, released as the second single from their 1989 album The Seeds of Love
The Seeds of Love
-Bonus tracks:Note: A remix of "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" was also released as a separate single in the UK and reached #70 on the charts.-Personnel:* Drums - Manu Katché, Chris Hughes, Phil Collins, Simon Phillips* Bass - Pino Palladino, Curt Smith...
.
The single reached the Top 40 in the UK, US, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and was a Top 20 hit in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The studio cut features Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
on drums, and is also notable for guest vocals from female singer Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
who would later go on to achieve a successful solo career.
The song was re-released in 1992 (with a different B-side and now credited to "Tears For Fears featuring Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
") in order to capitalise on the recent solo success of Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
and to promote the Tears for Fears Greatest Hits compilation Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92)
Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82-92)
Tears Roll Down is a compilation album released by the British band Tears for Fears in 1992.The album contains all the Top 20 hits up to that point released in the U.K. and internationally, and one new single, "Laid So Low ", which also made the Top 20 in the U.K...
, this time reaching #57 in the UK.
Content
"Woman in Chains" was recorded as a duet and Orzabal explained the impetus for the lyric to Melody MakerMelody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
: "I was reading some feminist literature at the time and I discovered that there are societies in the world still in existence today that are non-patriarchal. They don't have the man at the top and the women at the bottom. They're matricentric - they have the woman at the centre and these societies are a lot less violent, a lot less greedy and there's generally less animosity... but the song is also about how men traditionally play down the feminine side of their characters and how both men and women suffer for it.... I think men in a patriarchal society are sold down the river a bit - okay, maybe we're told that we're in control but there are also a hell of a lot of things that we miss out on, which women are allowed to be".
The song appeared briefly in an early episode of Baywatch
Baywatch
Baywatch is an American action drama series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, starring David Hasselhoff. The show ran in its original title and format from 1989 to 1999, sans the 1990-1991 season, of which it was not in production...
.
The song was later sampled in the S.A.S. single "So Free" featuring Cam'ron
Cam'ron
Cameron Giles , better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American actor. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats , and also of The U.N. group....
and on Uneasy Listening Vol. 1 by DJ Z-Trip
DJ Z-Trip
Zach Sciacca, better known as Z-Trip, is an American DJ and producer. He is best known as a pioneer of the mashup movement.A Phoenix, Arizona native, who now resides in Los Angeles, California, he was known early in his career for performing with the Bombshelter DJs . He became widely known when...
and DJ P.
Music video
The video, directed by Andy Morahan, was filmed in black and white and focuses on the abusive relationship between a man (a boxer) and a woman (a pole-dancer, played by Angela AlvaradoAngela Alvarado
Angela Alvarado Rosa is an American actress and music video director. She is the wife of singer Draco Rosa.Alvarado was born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent. Alvarado is the sister of Magali Alvarado. She first met her husband during the production of the 1988 film Salsa. In 1990, the...
) and is interspersed with shots of the band and guest vocalist Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams
Oleta Adams is an American soul, jazz, and gospel singer and pianist.-Biography:Adams was born the daughter of a preacher and was raised with gospel music. In her youth her family moved to Yakima, Washington, which is sometimes shown as her place of birth.Before gaining her opportunity to perform,...
performing the song. The video does not however feature guest drummer Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
.
Charts
| Chart (1989/90) | Peak position |
|---|