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.
Movin' On Down The Line
The Black Crowes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's all right brother
It's all right sisters
It's all right brother
It's all right sisters
It's all right brother
It's all right
It's all right sisters
It's all right brother
The wheel within the wheel
The water below the well
Keep the curtain drawn and the record on
And the curtain what do you say
Bring the bottle here
Make the real unreal
And lets go out and play
[Chorus]
It's all right sisters
It's all right brother
We all get down sometimes
Starting to show me
Starting to know me
Starting to feel the shine
Starting to let go
Now that we know
Time to move it on down the line
The exit marks the hex
That moves from next to next
Keep your head on tight
To make it through the night
You got to make a friend along the way
So cover up your tracks
And avoid a tax
And you'll live to love another day
[Chorus: x2]
Time to move it on down the line [x3]
The lyrics to The Black Crowes's song Movin' On Down The Line reflect the journey of life and moving forward through trials and tribulations. The repetition of "It's all right sisters, it's all right brother" can be interpreted as a message of hope and encouragement to keep going and not give up. The "wheel within the wheel" and "water below the well" can symbolize the different layers and depths of life that we have to navigate through. The line "keep the curtain drawn and the record on" can represent hiding behind music to cope with life's struggles. The lyric "make the real unreal" and "lets go out and play" is a message to take a break from reality and enjoy life while we can. The chorus is also about accepting the ups and downs of life and being open to new experiences. The line "starting to let go now that we know" suggests that sometimes we have to let go of the past to move on.
Overall, the lyrics to Movin' On Down The Line can be interpreted as a message to keep pushing forward despite the obstacles we may face in life. We need to be resilient, make connections and not take life too seriously.
Line by Line Meaning
It's all right sisters
No need to worry, sisters
It's all right brother
No need to worry, brother
The wheel within the wheel
The complexity of life
The water below the well
The hidden truth beneath the surface
Keep the curtain drawn and the record on
Keep your secrets and continue with your façade
And the curtain what do you say
What will you do if your secrets are exposed?
Bring the bottle here
Let's have a drink to forget our problems
Make the real unreal
Let's escape reality for a while
And lets go out and play
Let's have some fun and forget our worries
[Chorus]
It's okay to feel down sometimes
Starting to show me
Beginning to reveal yourself to others
Starting to know me
Beginning to understand yourself
Starting to feel the shine
Starting to feel good about yourself
Starting to let go
Starting to release your worries
Now that we know
Now that we have come to this realization
Time to move it on down the line
Time to move forward
The exit marks the hex
Leaving one thing behind and moving on to the next
That moves from next to next
The cycle of life
Keep your head on tight
Stay focused
To make it through the night
To get through tough times
You got to make a friend along the way
You need support to make it through life
So cover up your tracks
Hide your mistakes
And avoid a tax
And avoid the consequences
And you'll live to love another day
And you'll have another chance to experience love and happiness
[Chorus: x2]
It's okay to feel down sometimes
Time to move it on down the line [x3]
Time to keep moving forward
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ROBINSON, CHRISTOPHER MARK ROBINSON, RICH ROBINSON, RICHARD S. ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind