The heartbreaking story behind Back On The Chain Gang by Pretenders
- Adam English
- Oct 31, 2025
- 5 min read
It's funny how a song can sound so different from its real meaning. Back on the Chain Gang is definitely one of those songs.
Before we go too far, I just want to take a moment to acknowledge two of the people we’re going to talk about today: James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon. Both members of the Pretenders who sadly passed away around the time of this song. James just as it was being written, and Pete a year later. Not only did they go far too soon, but they're both essential to this song.
So, in 1982, The Pretenders were already well into a successful career. Their self-titled debut album in 1979 had put them straight on the map, cracking the top 10 in both the UK and the US. Their blend of punk rock energy, catchy hooks and Chrissie Hynde’s emotive lyrics was a great recipe, and was immediately popular. Second album Pretenders 2 was almost as successful as the first album, and the band were obviously the real deal.
Already they had a solid international fanbase, a collection of hits, and earnt a great live reputation through extensive touring. They were riding a wave. And then, like all waves, it crashed. But not for long.
Back On The Chain Gang came about after a period of turmoil for the band. In 1982, they made the decision to fire bassist Pete Farndon. A founding member, Pete sadly found himself losing control of drug and alcohol issues.
His substance abuse was affecting the band's ability to work and tour effectively, and as they started work on their third album, they decided to part ways with him. But what they didn’t see coming was a tragic twist of fate.
Just two days after firing Pete for his drug problems, James Honeyman-Scott, their talented lead guitarist, died suddenly at the age of 25. His death was caused by heart failure brought on by a mix of cocaine and heroin. It was considered an accident.
His death devastated the band and especially Chrissie Hynde.
And it also had a big impact musically. James was instrumental to the bands success, with his musical talents helping drive their sound. He had a great ear for melody, and could rip out a hook or solo, whatever the song needed.
Hynde sang his praises to Uncut in 1999:
"He really was the Pretenders sound. I don't sound like that. When I met him, I was this not-very melodic punky angry guitar player and singer and Jimmy was the melodic one. He brought out all the melody in me."
His death put Chrissie Hynde into a bit of a tailspin, and changed the course of the song.
Originally, she was writing about her relationship with Kinks frontman Ray Davies. She was pregnant with his child at the time.
“That was a song I was writing and I had shown Jimmy Scott some of the chords, and I was working on this song which he liked, and then he died, and it turned into more of a tribute to him”
She wrote the lyrics to express the confusion, grief and the bittersweet memories she held. The title Back On The Chain Gang refers to the feeling of being forced back into the grind, back to work, back to the struggles of life after experiencing such a profound loss. Something I’m sure we can all relate to.
I found a picture of you,
Well it hijacked my world at night
To a place in the past we've been cast out of,
Now we're back in the fight
I found a picture of you
Those were the happiest days of my life
Like a break in the battle was your part
In the wretched life of a lonely heart
When you see it like that, you can feel the emotional weight underneath its lively rhythm and upbeat melody. Having a song was all well and good: But they didn’t have a band any more. It was just Chrissie and drummer Martin Chambers. They brought in a lead guitarist called Billy Bremner, and borrowed Big Country’s bassist Tony Butler. There was also Robbie McIntosh, whom Honeyman-Scott had already brought in as an extra rhythm guitarist.
The recording of Back On The Chain Gang wasn’t easy. They were still grieving, and the sessions were overshadowed with tension and emotion. Aside from their raw grief, the band struggled to carry on without Honeyman-Scott’s influence and creative spirit.
Not that the new guys weren’t up to it - the song sounds great. Bremner actually nailed the solo in one take, which is impressive.
They pushed through, and in the end created a great song. And actually, producer Chris Thomas deserves a lot of credit for that.
Thomas had been working with the band almost from day one, and had his fingerprints on both their albums and their successful singles. He helped them develop their sound and bridge the gap between punk and pop.
And he worked his magic again on Back OnThe Chain Gang. He had the band record the song as a live performance, using multiple tracks to record the different members. And then spliced together all the best takes.
I think that live setting helped lend the music a more personal, in the room feeling.
It went to no.5 on the UK Singles Chart and also charted well in the US. It became one of The Pretenders’ signature songs and it’s still popular decades later. But it's not about the charts - the magic of Back On The Chain Gang is in how it encapsulates the pain of loss and the human effort to cope and carry on.
Sadly, bassist Pete Farndon died less than a year after being dismissed from The Pretenders, in April 1983.
His cause of death was drowning, after he passed out in his bathtub at home due to a heroin overdose. He was just 30 years old.
Chrissie, talking to Six String in 2023, definitely seems to be in turmoil over their deaths.
“I am guilty. It’s not a big word if you are guilty. It’s big if you feel guilty and you’re not guilty. But if you really are guilty, then you should put your hand up and say, ‘Guilty as charged’. Well, I didn’t discourage the drug-taking, and I was part of it. So, you know, not that I was their mother, and we went on the road, and it was very hardcore.”
After being released as a single, back On The Chain Gang was included on 1984’s learning to crawl. Fantastic name for an album. And it really marked their comeback after losing their friends.
The album included other hits like Middle of the Road, Wait for Me and the Christmas hit 2000 Miles.
Learning to Crawl is considered one of their best albums, and an 80’s classic. But back on the chain gang will always be a favourite among fans.
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