The Black Crowes is a blues-oriented hard rock jam band formed 1989 in Atla… Read Full Bio ↴The Black Crowes is a blues-oriented hard rock jam band formed 1989 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States that has sold over 15 million albums and were hailed by Melody Maker as "The Most Rock N' Roll Rock N' Roll Band In The World" The band has toured with acts such as Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Jimmy Page, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Oasis and Lenny Kravitz. The Crowes are listed at #92 on VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock".

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.

Could I've Been So Blind
The Black Crowes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Could I have been so blind
So empty I've never felt warm
Can I spell it out
Turned myself out of my home
Lookin' like a fool
Feelin' even worse than it seems
Tryin' hard as nails
Belevin' only in myself

And now it looks like innocence is gone
I know right and I know what's wrong
Feeling lonely that's the way it goes
Sometimes

But my greatest fear
Painted smile from ear to ear
Alone and cryin'
Living like this is no better than dying

I tell you baby things are gonna' change
Looking like we were caught out in the rain
Feeling lonely
That's the way it goes
Sometimes

Chorus:

Could I ever have been so blind
Could I ever have been so blind
Could I ever have been so blind
Could I ever have been so blind

Guitar Solo

Could I ever have been so blind
Could I ever have been so blind

Hardest thing I ever had to do
Was stand up straight and tell it all to you
Look you right in the eye
Tell you baby sorry but I have lied

And now it looks like innocence is gone
I know right and I know what's wrong
Feeling lonely that's the way it goes
Sometimes

(Repeat Chorus 4 times)

Overall Meaning

The Black Crowes' song "Could I've Been So Blind" is a reflection on personal growth and self-awareness. The lyrics speak to the singer's realization of their own mistakes and shortcomings. The opening lines, "Could I have been so blind, so empty I've never felt warm," show the singer questioning their past behavior and admitting to feeling lost and alone. As the song progresses, the singer recognizes their mistakes and acknowledges their fear of living a life without real connection or honesty. In the end, the singer takes responsibility for their actions and apologizes for lying to their loved one.

The chorus, "Could I ever have been so blind," repeated throughout the song, emphasizes the weight of the singer's revelation. The guitar solo adds to the emotional intensity of the song, as the melody reflects the turmoil and confusion of self-examination. The final lines, "Sometimes," remind the listener that these kinds of realizations and moments of growth are a part of the human experience.

There is no one definitive interpretation of this song, but it could be seen as a commentary on the difficulty of admitting wrongdoing and facing the truth about oneself. The song could also speak to the idea that true growth and self-awareness require a level of vulnerability and honesty that can be challenging to achieve.

Line by Line Meaning

Could I have been so blind
Could I have been unable to see the truth

So empty I've never felt warm
I have always felt cold and empty inside

Can I spell it out
Can I explicitly say what I mean

Turned myself out of my home
I left my home willingly

Lookin' like a fool
I appeared foolish to others

Feelin' even worse than it seems
My feelings are worse than they appear

Tryin' hard as nails
I was trying very hard

Belevin' only in myself
I only believed in myself

And now it looks like innocence is gone
It seems like I have lost my innocence

I know right and I know what's wrong
I know what is right and wrong

Feeling lonely that's the way it goes
It is common to feel lonely