The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #26162   Message #313229
Posted By: rangeroger
05-Oct-00 - 10:16 PM
Thread Name: Origins: He Had a Long Chain On (Jimmie Driftwood)
Subject: RE: Chords Req: Long Chain On
I play Em and Am with 7ths added during the bridge between verses.

This song has always had a great deal of meaning for me.Before I was a park ranger I was a Deputy Probation Officer in San Diego County.The Probation Department administered the rural adult detention facilites, the Honor Camps.These were minimum security facilities where I was basically a corrections officer.

Whenever an inmate had to be reclassified back to the main County jail whether for disciplinary or administrative reasons, we were required to place that person in full restraint gear.Belly chains with handcuffs and leg irons on the ankles. I have never had to do a job that so dehumanized and degraded a human being.Because of that I became very good at placing those restraints on a person as I wanted it to be done as quickly and safely as possible.

Every time I did it, this song echoed in my mind.

I also used to take my guitar to work with me and would invariably sing this song while picking with or singing for the inmates.

rr