Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” opens with the lyric “Listen to the wind blow.”
The song appears on Rumours, the band’s landmark 1977 album. Its opening verse leads into a composition assembled from several pieces of previously developed material rather than written in one uninterrupted session. Christine McVie had an earlier song called “Keep Me There,” while Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood contributed other musical or structural elements.
The finished track is credited to all five members of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours-era lineup. That makes it unique in the band’s discography, although Stevie Nicks later said the song was primarily hers and that she owned much of the melody and lyrics. The famous closing instrumental section grew from a bass progression played by John McVie, with Mick Fleetwood helping shape the rhythm.
Listeners sometimes confuse the song with “Go Your Own Way” or “Dreams” because all three are closely associated with Rumours and the band’s turbulent relationships. “The Chain,” however, is identifiable immediately by its wind-blown opening and its dramatic, bass-driven finale.