Crystal Bowersox is an Ohio Native, but has been playing around the Chicago area since 2004. At the age of ten, her Mom would take her to bars, so she could hear the musicians play. Not long after she began performing around her hometown under the wings of her "gray haired rock stars.".
At 17, Crystal packed up and moved to the big city. She went from singing on subway platforms, to travel across the world in a few short years. In 2006, the city of Chicago department of cultural affairs chose Crystal to represent Chicago's folk music scene in a week long festival called, "Experience Chicago", held in sister city Birmingham, UK.
In 2007, Crystal was once again on the road. In Mexico and in Istanbul, Turkey, she spent time on a small cafe tour.
Crystal's early influences were artists like Jewel, Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, etc. Later influences include Counting Crows, Bonnie Rait, Tracy Chapman, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Ray Lamontagne, and many others. Crystal even had the opportunity to meet with her strongest influence, Melissa Etheridge in 2008.
Bowersox auditioned in June 2009 for the ninth season of American Idol in Chicago, Illinois, with the song "Piece of My Heart."
On March 2, Bowersox was hospitalized because of complications from diabetes, forcing a last minute switch in scheduling to give her extra time to recuperate. Bowersox confirmed the illness on the May 19th results show during an interview with host Ryan Seacrest. The men competed that day instead of the women. She sang the next day and impressed all the judges.
The following week, her strong performance prompted Simon Cowell to state, "Right now you are the one everyone has to beat."
After Siobhan Magnus's elimination from the top 6 of American Idol, Crystal Bowersox became the last remaining female contestant in the competition.
Crystal is the first female contestant to make it to the finale since Jordin Sparks won the title in 2007. Crystal is also the first contestant in American Idol history to have one of her original songs played on the show - Crystal's song "Holy Toledo" was played on the May 19th Top 3 Results show as the background music for her homecoming package - when she returned to Toledo, Ohio and Elliston, Ohio the previous weekend.
View The Official Crystal Bowersox Website.
Black Velvet
Crystal Bowersox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The boy could sing
Knew how to move and everything
Always wanting more
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave
White lightening is bound to drive you wild
Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl
Love me tender, leaves 'em cryin' in the aisles
Oh, the way he moved
It was a sin, so sweet and true
Always wanting more
He'd leave you longing for
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Every word of every song that he sang was for you
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon
What can you do?
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
Black velvet with that slow southern style
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
Black velvet if you please
The lyrics to Crystal Bowersox's song "Black Velvet" paint a vivid picture of a time and place in American history. The first verse sets the scene in Mississippi during a dry spell, where Jimmy Rogers' music is playing on the Victrola while Mama dances with her baby. The imagery of the setting sun being as slow as molasses creates a feeling of a lazy Sunday afternoon. The second verse shifts the scene to Memphis, where the music is hot like a heatwave and "Love Me Tender" leaves schoolgirls crying in the aisles. The lyrics capture the essence of rock and roll in the 1950s-60s, the era of Elvis, Little Richard, and many other legends. The little boy mentioned in the chorus is likely a reference to one of these rock and roll icons.
The third verse brings the listener back to reality, acknowledging that the legendary performers of that time, some of whom died young, are no longer with us. It's a sobering reminder that the music industry can be harsh and fleeting, but the music lives on through recordings and memories.
Overall, the lyrics to "Black Velvet" capture a moment in time when rock and roll was king and the performers who had the talent, charisma, and style to make it big were celebrated like gods.
Line by Line Meaning
Mississippi in the middle of a dry spell
The dry state of the Mississippi region.
Jimmy Rogers on the Victrola up high
Listening to music in the form of Jimmy Roger's recordings on the Victrola placed at a height.
Mama's dancin' with baby on her shoulder
A mother is dancing along with her child who is on a shoulder ride.
The sun is settin' like molasses in the sky
The sun is setting in a slow and steady manner, much like molasses.
The boy could sing
The boy was capable of singing really well.
Knew how to move and everything
The boy was really good at dancing and moving his body while performing.
Always wanting more
The boy had an insatiable desire to achieve greater heights with his performances.
He'd leave you longing for
The boy's performances had such an impact that they left the audience wishing for more.
Black velvet and that little boy's smile
The boy's charming smile and persona, along with the use of black velvet clothing on stage.
Black velvet with that slow southern style
The slow and southern style of music being played while wearing black velvet clothing.
A new religion that'll bring ya to your knees
The boy's music was so impactful that it could create a new belief system that could change your life forever.
Black velvet if you please
The request to the audience to play more music of this type so that they could enjoy it further.
Up in Memphis the music's like a heatwave
In Memphis, the music has a very strong and powerful impact like heatwaves.
White lightening is bound to drive you wild
The sudden and exhilarating feeling of happiness one feels while enjoying white lightning alcohol.
Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl
The popularity of the boy is such that every school girl considered him as their boyfriend.
Love me tender, leaves 'em cryin' in the aisles
The boy's soothing and tender music could make even grown adults cry in the audience.
Every word of every song that he sang was for you
Every song sung by the boy was directed towards the audience, making them feel special and connected.
In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon
Suddenly and without warning, the boy left the music scene, creating a void for his fans.
What can you do?
There is not much that can be done to fill the vacuum left by the boy.
Contributed by Aiden F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bobcrawford1949
One of the most under rated artists singing with soul, power, pitch and authentic emotional expression...She deserves much more exposure to the pu blic...