Inspired by Sam Cooke’s running into a chain gang of prisoners while on tour, the song pays homage to their hard work. Cooke was reportedly so moved by the plight of the prisoners that he and his ...

In the summer of 1982, The Pretenders, just two albums into an already-impressive career, were crumbling. In June, the band fired bassist Pete Farndon because of his drug use. Just days after that ...

When Morrissey decided to cover the Pretenders‘ “Back on the Chain Gang” for an upcoming double-vinyl reissue of his Low in High School album, he wanted to play it loose with the lyrics. “I didn’t ...