They originate from Edmonton, Kentucky. Chris Robertson and John Fred Young, son of The Kentucky Headhunters' rhythm guitarist Richard Young, started to play music together early in their teens and Jon and Ben soon followed. Black Stone Cherry officially formed on June 4, 2001. They then took over the practice house that had been used by The Kentucky Headhunters since 1968 and began to record tracks. After the band finished recording, they returned to Edmonton for a homecoming gig in the gym of the local middle school, which was attended by 1500 people. After the band’s self-titled debut album was released, Chris's former school principal invited the band back to Edmonton to celebrate with a concert. As the band entered the town, the streets were covered with signs welcoming them back.
In July 2007, they released a second EP containing the song "Rain Wizard" along with two previously unreleased tracks.
The first live album by Black Stone Cherry was released on October 31, 2007 immediately following the concert at the Astoria in London. They joined Def Leppard and Whitesnake in the summer of 2008 for European dates.
On August 19, 2008 Black Stone Cherry released their second album, entitled Folklore and Superstition. Three singles from the album, "Blind Man", "Please Come In" and "Things My Father Said" have been released.
In May 2009, they supported Nickelback's Dark Horse tour.
The White Trash Millionaire Songfacts states that their third studio album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, got an unexpected early release on the bittorrent tracker, Demonoid on May 27, 2011 due to an employee error at an unspecified Walmart. The official release date was May 31, 2011.
The band recorded a new album in fall 2013, through early 2014. Magic Mountain was released on 6 May 2014, reaching number five in the UK albums chart. The first single was "Me and Mary Jane"
On October 7, 2015, it was revealed that the band had signed to Mascot Label Group, and had begun recording the follow-up to Magic Mountain for a 2016 release. The album was recorded in the same location as the self-titled album; Glasgow, Kentucky. The album, entitled Kentucky, was released on April 1, 2016 and became their second consecutive #1 album on the Billboard Hard Rock albums chart.
In February 2018, the band released their first single, Burnin', from their new album Family Tree which released on 20th April 2018 through Mascot Records.
Black Stone Cherry's music style is often associated with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Black Crowes, and Led Zeppelin to a lesser extent. While there are clear influences in Black Stone Cherry’s music, they have created their own style to a great extent. The musical tone and composition of Black Stone Cherry is very comparable to that of Brand New Sin and Zakk Wylde's Pride and Glory.
The song writing of Black Stone Cherry is often praised for great storytelling and delivering a strong message. For example, the song "Lonely Train" is about the effect on families when a relative goes to fight in a war. The song "Rain Wizard" is about a local legend of mysterious wisemen who could bring the rain in times of drought. "Backwoods Gold" is about a local man who ran moonshine out of the hardware store in the middle of Edmonton.
FADE AWAY
Black Stone Cherry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wonder what you'd say
Would you criticize my life
Or smile and wave goodbye
If I died today
Would you be afraid
Would you be thankful for our time
Or would you hang your head and cry
Baby, baby don't you look back
All your tears won’t change your past
They'll only drown the smiles on your face
And maybe baby all that we had
Was never ever meant to last
So let me go, but don't you let me fade away
Don't you let me fade
If you close a door, swim for the shore
Walk straight into the sun and let the healing horses run
Cause it won't do you any good to bleed
Another tear on what became of me
Baby, baby don't you look back
All your tears won’t change your past
They'll only drown the smiles on your face
And maybe baby all that we had
Was never ever meant to last
So let me go, but don't you let me fade away
When he holds you in his arms
And you’re layin’ in our bed
Does he turn you on, the way that I did?
Baby, baby don't you look back
All your tears won’t change your past
They'll only drown the smiles on your face
And maybe baby all that we had
Was never ever meant to last
So let me go, but don't you let me fade
Fade away
Fade away
Please don't let me fade (Please don’t let me go)
Fade away
Fade away
Please don't let me fade
Don't you ever let me go
Black Stone Cherry's song "Fade Away" is a contemplative and poignant lyric about one's mortality and the way people would react if they passed away. The song starts off with the singer hypothetically asking what people would say if they passed away: "If I died today, I wonder what you'd say, would you criticize my life or smile and wave goodbye?" The song then goes on to describe the singer's apprehensions and seeks reassurance from the loved one that they will not be forgotten, saying "let me go, but don't you let me fade away."
The singer is asking their loved one to move on with life and not to dwell on the past or their mistakes. They are asking the person to accept that they were never meant to last, and that life has to move on. However, the song also suggests that the singer is uncomfortable with the idea of being forgotten, saying, "Please don't let me fade away, don't you ever let me go." In other words, they want to be remembered and to leave a mark on the world.
In essence, "Fade Away" is a song about acceptance, mortality, and leaving a legacy. It is a reminder that we all have a finite time on this earth, and that it is important to come to terms with our lives and how we've lived them.
Line by Line Meaning
If I died today
The singer wonders how people will remember him if he were to die suddenly.
I wonder what you'd say
The person is curious about what people would say at his/her funeral if he/she died.
Would you criticize my life
The person is unsure if people would say negative things about him/her when he/she dies.
Or smile and wave goodbye
The singer hopes that people will remember him/her fondly and not be sad.
If I died today
The singer repeats his/her initial thought about dying suddenly.
Would you be afraid
The person is curious if people would be scared by his/her sudden death.
Would you be thankful for our time
The person wonders if people would be grateful for the time spent with him/her when he/she dies.
Or would you hang your head and cry
The person worries that people would be sad if he/she died suddenly.
Cause girl I know it could go either way
The singer acknowledges that people's reactions could go either way when he/she dies.
Baby, baby don't you look back
The singer is advising someone not to dwell on the past and negative memories.
All your tears won’t change your past
Crying won't change what's already happened, so it's better to move forward.
They'll only drown the smiles on your face
Crying too much can make it difficult for someone to feel happy or find joy in life.
And maybe baby all that we had
The singer is acknowledging that their relationship might not have been meant to last.
Was never ever meant to last
The singer is confirming that their relationship wasn't meant to last.
So let me go, but don't you let me fade away
The singer is saying that he/she wants to move on but hopes that the other person will remember him/her fondly.
If you close a door, swim for the shore
If one opportunity ends, look for another one that's better.
Walk straight into the sun and let the healing horses run
Try to find something positive and move towards it to begin the healing process.
Cause it won't do you any good to bleed
Being negative won't help in healing the wound and moving forward.
Another tear on what became of me
The singer is saying that it's not worth crying over him/her because he/she has moved on to something better.
When he holds you in his arms
The singer is talking about the other person moving on to a new relationship.
And you’re layin’ in our bed
The singer is imagining the new person in their bed.
Does he turn you on, the way that I did?
The singer is wondering if the other person still thinks about him/her and their past relationship.
Fade away
The singer is repeating the phrase in the song's title, which means to disappear or slowly disappear from someone's memory.
Please don't let me fade (Please don’t let me go)
The singer is pleading with the other person not to forget him/her.
Don't you ever let me go
The singer repeats his/her plea to the other person not to forget him/her.
Contributed by Colin P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.