The verse refers to the old spirituals and hymns with the image of links of chain; ""Ev'ry link bearing Jesus' name," to take a line from one of them. Images of gold and silver abound in these religious songs of the poor and the downtrodden; the images are a part of the life of blacks and whites alike in rural areas of the south. The singer is showing his love for, and mourning the loss of, his closest companion. The song reflects the beliefs of these people and loses both feeling and authenticity in the hands of a folk singer who does not understand his material, as is obviously the case with Tom Rush.