At the time of their 1990 debut, the kind of rock & roll the Black Crowes specialize in was out of style. Only Guns N' Roses came close to approximating a vintage Stones-style raunch, but they were too angry and jagged to pull it off completely. The Black Crowes replicated that Stonesy swagger and Faces boogie perfectly. Vocalist Chris Robinson appropriated the sound and style of vintage Rod Stewart while guitarist Rich Robinson fused Keith Richards' lean attack with Ron Wood's messy rhythmic sense. At their best, the Black Crowes echo classic rock without slavishly imitating their influences.
The Robinson brothers originally formed the Black Crowes in Georgia in 1984. By the time of their 1990 debut, Shake Your Money Maker, the group comprised Chris Robinson (vocals), Rich Robinson (guitar), Johnny Colt (bass), Jeff Cease (guitar), and Steve Gorman (drums). "Jealous Again," the first single from Shake Your Money Maker, was a moderate hit but it was the band's cover of Otis Redding's "Hard to Handle" that made the group a multi-platinum success. "Hard to Handle" climbed its way into the Top 40, propelling the album into the Top Ten. The acoustic ballad "She Talks to Angels" became the band's second Top 40 hit in the spring of 1991. Shake Your Money Maker would eventually sell over three million copies.
The Black Crowes delivered their second album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion, in the spring of 1992, adding new lead guitarist Marc Ford and keyboardist Eddie Harsch. It entered the charts at number one, but it didn't have as many hit singles as the debut; none of the singles cracked the Top 40 and only "Remedy" and "Thorn in My Pride" made the Top 100. Nevertheless, the band established themselves as a popular concert attraction that summer, selling out theaters across America. The Black Crowes' third album, Amorica, arrived in late 1994. Amorica debuted in the Top Ten, but none of the singles from the album made the charts; even though the record went gold, it slipped off the charts in early 1995.
Three Snakes & One Charm, the group's fourth album, was released in July of 1996. The album entered the charts at number 15, but it quickly slipped out of the Top 50. Nevertheless, the album received the best reviews of any Crowes album since The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Guitarist Marc Ford was fired from the Black Crowes in August, 1997; two years later, the group returned with By Your Side. In mid-2000, the band collaborated with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page on the double-disc Live at the Greek, an eclectic mix of newly recorded Zeppelin covers and additional classic blues cuts. A Tribute to a Work in Progress: Greatest Hits 1990-1999, a 16-track best-of compilation was also released in mid-2000. The Don Was-produced Lions appeared in spring 2001, and a summer tour with Oasis -- the Tour of Brotherly Love -- followed in June. But all was apparently not well with the group, in January of 2002 the band announced that they were on hiatus. Drummer Steve Gorman was fired from the band, and Chris Robinson announced his intentions for a solo career.
The Black Crowes have since reunited. All members circa 1992 are back, with the addition of one of their previous bassists, Sven Pipien, and harmony singers Mona Lisa Young and Charity White. They are enjoying a renaissance within the group as well as with their longtime fan base and have been consistently touring since formally reuniting in March 2005. In November of 2007, it was announced that North Mississippi Allstar guitarist Luther Dickinson formally joined the band, replacing Paul Stacey. He appears throughout the Crowes' album Warpaint, which was released in March of 2008.
In late 2019, during an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Chris and Rich Robinson announced that they had resolved their differences (the brothers hadn't spoken in the years since the band's 2015 split). Besides the Robinson brothers, the reunited lineup featured an entirely new backing band including guitarist Isiah Mitchell (from the bands Earthless and Golden Void), bassist Tim Lefebvre (formerly of the Tedeschi Trucks Band), keyboardist Joel Robinow, and drummer Raj Ojha. This line-up premiered at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City on November 11, 2019 where they played the entire Shake Your Money Maker album.
Black Moon Creeping
The Black Crowes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let me get to know your language
If I believe all I see
It would be all around for the dawn
Sleeping eyes stay awhile
Give me some cause to rejoice
Parody of the scene
What you got buried in your backyard?
Secret do you sleep with, black moon's come
What you got buried in your backyard?
Secret do you sleep with, black moon's come
Sleeping eyes, please come clean
Ain't giving you third degree
When you live, no man's time
Hard to find peace of mind
Sleeping eyes, do not cry
Do not pretend this is not an end
'Cause your history, well, it seems
Has been swept out with the leaves
What you got buried in your backyard?
Secret do you sleep with, black moon's come
What you got buried in your backyard?
Secret do you sleep with, black moon's come
What you got buried in your backyard?
Secret do you sleep with, black moon's come
What you got buried, buried, buried, buried
The Black Crowes' song Black Moon Creeping appears to be about someone trying to get to know a person on a deeper level. The lyrics suggest that the person speaking wants to know more about the other person's past, their secrets, and what might be buried in their backyard. The phrase "sleeping eyes stay awhile" could mean the person is asking the other to wait and not rush into revealing everything at once, but instead to gradually share their experiences and allow themselves to be vulnerable. The line "parody of the scene, three wishes were granted to me" seems to suggest that the person has been granted something from the universe or a supernatural being, but they are skeptical if it is real or just a "parody."
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more ominous as the black moon rises, indicating that something is about to be exposed. The line "a secret do you sleep with, black moon's come" could imply that the person has been hiding something in their subconsciousness, and now that the black moon is out, it's time to confront these secrets. The final line, "what you got buried, buried, buried, buried" is a repeated metaphor that suggests that the person's secrets or past are deeply buried, but they will eventually come to light.
Interestingly, the Black Crowes have said that the inspiration for this song came from a trip they took to a haunted mansion in Georgia. The lyrics were written after they had explored the mansion and heard stories about the previous owners' mysterious disappearance. The song's dark and cryptic vibe was meant to reflect the eeriness they experienced in the mansion.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleeping eyes stay awhile
Please try to be attentive to me for a bit
Let me get to know your language
Allow me to understand your ways of communicating and expressing yourself
If I believe all I see
If I trust everything my eyes take in understanding truth wholly may be difficult
It would be all around for the dawn
The reality will come to light eventually
Give me some cause to rejoice
Please give me something to be happy or grateful about
Parody of the scene
An imitation or exaggeration of the current situation or environment
Three wishes were granted to me
I had the fortune of having three desires granted
What you got buried in your backyard?
What kind of secret are you hiding?
Secret do you sleep with, black moon's come
A hidden truth that you hold onto while a difficult or confrontational situation is arising
Sleeping eyes, please come clean
Please be honest and upfront with me
Ain't giving you third degree
I am not going to interrogate you intensively
When you live, no man's time
When you are alive, it is tough to perceive the passage of time
Hard to find peace of mind
It is challenging to achieve a sense of mental calmness or serenity
Sleeping eyes, do not cry
Please do not be upset
Do not pretend this is not an end
Please do not feign ignorance or denial that this is the conclusion
'Cause your history, well, it seems
Because it appears that a lot of your past has been forgotten or overlooked
Has been swept out with the leaves
It seems like your history is being forgotten or disregarded
What you got buried, buried, buried, buried
What have you buried? What secrets are you hiding?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Limits98
Lyrics
Sleeping eyes
Sleep awhile
And let me get to
Know your language
If I believe all I see
I would hate to be
Around for the dawn
Sleeping eyes
Stay awhile
And give me some
Cause to rejoice
A parody
Yes,
Of the scene
Where my three wishes
Were granted to me
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Said
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Sleeping eyes
Please come clean
I'm not giving you
The third degree
When you live with
No man's time
Ain't it hard to find
Some peace of mind
Sleeping eyes
Don't you cry
And don't pretend this
Is not an ending
Your history
Yes it seems
Has been swept out
With the leaves
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Said
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Yeah
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Said
What you got
Oh
What you got
What you got buried?
What you gonna do when
The black moon
Black moon
Black moon come
Oh
Tell me what you're gonna do
Ooh
Yeah
Yeah
Tell me
Tell me what you're gonna do
When the black moon
Come creeping on down
Oh yeah
Ooh
Paul Snively
This is a shockingly sophisticated piece, with an antiphonal part and ending with a straightforward, but seemingly out of place, gospel exhortation. It ranges from angry to sad to pleading. Just amazing.
Clayton Thomas
The music. The message. This is my favorite Crowes song. Side B in its entirety will leave you shook.
Nichols Jason
I love it. This album is a masterpiece. Every single second.
russell powers
The best song off of one of the best albums of the 90's. Can't go wrong with that!
Vanessa Faulkner
I concur
longfellowrocked
Oh my god what a bad ass song this still is. That bass, that rhythm, that nasty ass harp and guitar, and Chris singing those lyrics... This song and every song on Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is a great example of southern rock at its best.
Mad Mig
longfellowrocked It's American Music. Born and Raised!
Music Lover
yes! Perfect in every way
Limits98
Lyrics
Sleeping eyes
Sleep awhile
And let me get to
Know your language
If I believe all I see
I would hate to be
Around for the dawn
Sleeping eyes
Stay awhile
And give me some
Cause to rejoice
A parody
Yes,
Of the scene
Where my three wishes
Were granted to me
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Said
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Sleeping eyes
Please come clean
I'm not giving you
The third degree
When you live with
No man's time
Ain't it hard to find
Some peace of mind
Sleeping eyes
Don't you cry
And don't pretend this
Is not an ending
Your history
Yes it seems
Has been swept out
With the leaves
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Said
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Yeah
What you got buried?
In your backyard
What secret do you sleep
With when the
Black moon come
Said
What you got
Oh
What you got
What you got buried?
What you gonna do when
The black moon
Black moon
Black moon come
Oh
Tell me what you're gonna do
Ooh
Yeah
Yeah
Tell me
Tell me what you're gonna do
When the black moon
Come creeping on down
Oh yeah
Ooh
Paul Cerminara
The guitar intro is classic. Southern rock, attitude, crace and charm. These guys are like live bugs and moonshine.