Tears for Fears “Woman in Chains” released

Woman in Chains Tears for Fears with Oleta Adams

Writer(s): Roland Orzabal (see lyrics here) Released: November 6, 1989 First Charted: November 18, 1989 Peak: 36 US, 32 CN, 37 AC, 27 MR, 26 UK, 11 CN, 39 AU, 1 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 79.01 video, 83.79 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Tears for Fears came roaring out of the gate with the first single, “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” from their third album, The Seeds of Love. It went all the way to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving the British duo its fourth song to hit the top 3 in the United States. Alas, it would be their last trip to the upper eschelon of the chart. “Woman in Chains,” the follow-up single to “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” only reached #36 in the U.S. Despite its disappointing chart peak, it was a powerful feminist anthem with soaring guest vocals from Oleta Adams, a singer the duo saw perform in Kansas City. “We were both knocked out by her emotional power,” said singer Roland Orabal. It proved the catalyst for her to have a successful solo career. The song also featured Phil Collins on drums. He reported that “Tears for Fears just wanted me to do that big drum thing from ‘In the Air Tonight’…We want you to come in here in a big way.” WK The song “is about a woman who is trapped in a relationship with a bullying, possessive man.” SF Orzabal explained that the song was about his mother, who was a stripper at one time. Orzabal’s father would send someone to spy on her and if she talked to another man, he would beat her up when she came home. WK On a grander scale, Orzabal says “I’m singing about the oppression of women around the world.” SF In discussing feminist literature he was reading at the time, he explained “I discovered there are societies in the world…that are non-patriarchal. They don’t have the man at the top and the woman 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.” WK He also explained that the song is about men playing down their feminine side. WK Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Tears for Fears SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 8/5/2022.