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.
Kickin' My Heart Around
The Black Crowes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Spit the words out of your mouth
It needs no explaining
'Cuz we both felt it go south
Just stop kickin' my heart around
For the last time
Stop kickin' my heart around
Well I told you so
Not it's time to go
Got to get this show on the road
Just stop kickin' my heart around
In the beginning
There was no wrong you could do
Now in this ending
I can't stand looking at you
The lyrics of the song talk about a relationship that has gone badly, where both parties should just come out and say what they need to. The singer of the song begs the other person to stop playing with his/her heart and explain what went wrong between them. The singer knows that the relationship is over, but cannot move on until the other person makes it clear what happened. There is a sense of desperation, with the singer trying to pick up the pieces of a broken heart but feels lost and unable to let go. In the end, the singer has had enough and tells the other person to leave.
The lyrics are powerful, with the singer calling the other person out on their behavior and asking for an end to the pain. It is a relatable song, with anyone who has gone through a bad relationship or break-up, feeling the emotions that are expressed in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Just come out and say it
Speak your mind clearly and honestly
Spit the words out of your mouth
Express your thoughts without hesitation
It needs no explaining
Our relationship is beyond justification and elucidation
'Cuz we both felt it go south
We both know that this relationship is not in the right direction
Just stop kickin' my heart around
Stop hurting and toying with my emotions
For the last time
This is the final time I'm putting up with being treated this way
Well I told you so
I warned you about your harmful behavior before
Not it's time to go
It's time to end this relationship
Got to get this show on the road
I need to move on and start anew
Just stop kickin' my heart around
Stop treating my heart carelessly
In the beginning
Our relationship was stable and strong
There was no wrong you could do
I trusted and loved you unconditionally
Now in this ending
Our relationship has come to an unfortunate conclusion
I can't stand looking at you
I can't bear to see you anymore
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sniffy Pants
This song is a straight shot of adrenaline right to the heart every time I hear it. Like a train roaring at 200 miles an hour.
Jon Anthony
unfortunately I saw them do this live and they did not do it justice
Sniffy Pants
@Jon Anthony Sorry to hear that.
Thomas Dolan
Woo hoo woo hoo ho hoj
Gummy Gus
This is real music! Thumbs up if yo agree!
Maggi-Boy 5626
You couldn’t be more right!
Fabio GNR
F@!? Yes ❤️
Debra J. Normand
And to think they survived and thrived through the 90s Grunge rock years. Bravo to them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is real rock and roll plain and simple. I admire Chris and Rich more now than I ever knew.
Greg K
Great comment
Rock21
one of the last truly great rock n roll bands... I wanna play music like this one day