This was written around 1953 by Don Covay, an R&B singer who wrote songs that were recorded by The Rolling Stones ("Mercy Mercy), Wilson Pickett ("I'm Gonna Cry"), Otis Redding ("Think About It") and many others. Covay was signed to Atlantic Records, which also had Aretha Franklin on their roster. They had Franklin record the song in 1967, and she delivered, making "Chain Of Fools" a huge hit and one of her signatures. The following year, she recorded another Don Covay song, "See Saw," which was also a hit, climbing to #14 in the US.
The song is about a woman who realizes she is one of many girls in her boyfriend's "Chain." Even though she knows this can never last, she sticks with him anyway. According to Don Covay's son, Tony Covay (also a musician), Don wrote it with a different intention. "My father wrote this song about the cycle of property and slavery," he told Songfacts. "The bicycle chain gave him the hook. He said he had to change the words to fit the public."
This won a Grammy for Best Female R&B Performance in 1969. That category was introduced in 1968; Franklin won the first eight years, adding three more trophies in the '80s.
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