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The Pretenders

A little something about The Pretenders
At age 21 Chrissie Hynde of Akron, Ohio hopped on a plane bound for London in the hopes of starting up a band. She made it as far as working as a clerk for Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren in their Sex shop before heading back home, then to France, then back to London. This second stay proved more successul, as the pieces that would become The Pretenders began to fall into place in 1978. By 1980 Hynde, Peter Farndon, Martin Chambers and James Honeyman Scott had a number one album and single in the British charts. Unfortunately, once the Pretenders found success it took little time for the band to self-destruct. They adopted the preverbial rock-and-roll lifestyle, complete with heavy drinking and drug use, the results being a decline in the quality of their music, cancelled tour dates, the dismissal (and later overdose and death) of bassist Farndon, and the drug related death of guitarist Honeyman Scott. Out of the resulting chaos came "Back In the Chain Gang," recorded with future Big Country bassist Tony Butler. The track appeared on the aptly titled "Learning To Crawl" album, which also included hits "Middle of the Road" and "My City Was Gone." The Pretenders, by now essentially Chrissie Hynde and guests, continued to release music through 1986, and Hynde has worked on more recent projects with other artists. '80s fans should also note that, after having a child with Kinks singer Ray Davies, Hynde was married to Simple Minds singer Jim Kerr in 1984, though the marriage did make it through the end of the decade.
Chain Gang

I found a picture of you, ohWhat hijacked my world that nightTo a place in the pastWe've been cast out of, ohNow we're back in the fightWe're back on the train yeah (ooh, ah)OhA circumstance beyond our control, ohThe phone, TV and the news of the worldGot in the house like a pigeon from Hell, ohThrew sand in your eyes and descended like fliesPut us back on the train yeah (ooh, ah)Oh, back on the chain gangThe powers that beThat force us to live like we doBring me to my kneesWhen I see what they've done to you.But I'll die as I stand her todayKnowing that deep in my heartThey'll fall to ruin one dayFor making us apart.I found a picture of you, ohThose were the happiest days of my lifeNow we're back on the trainOh, back on the chain gang.Like a break in the battle was your part, ohIn the wretched life of a lonely heartNow we're back on the trainOh, back on the chain gang.