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.
Sometimes Salvation
The Black Crowes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I stopped hanging out with vultures
And empty saviours like you
I wish I had a nickle for every miracle
That you easily tricked me into
CHORUS
You can lead a horse to water
So don´t you surrender
No no no
´Cause sometimes salvation
In the eye of the storm
Sister, don´t you want to try an find me?
I´ve no time for accusations
Or conversations
On all the bad, bad, bad things that you do
Just a note from the jailer
Drugs and the relation
To all the people around you
CHORUS
I´ve kept secret your superstitions
And all its twisted wisdom
That I fell into
CHORUS
The lyrics to Sometimes Salvation by The Black Crowes are a reflection of the singer’s journey to find salvation and redemption amidst difficult circumstances. The song begins with the singer cutting ties with negative influences, such as “vultures” and “empty saviours”. The chorus highlights the theme of free will, with the line “You can lead a horse to water, but fate is another matter” suggesting that while one can provide opportunities and guidance, ultimately it is up to the individual to make their own choices. The line “sometimes salvation in the eye of the storm” speaks to the idea that salvation can come in unexpected ways during times of hardship.
Line by Line Meaning
To listen my troubles
I needed someone to hear my problems
I stopped hanging out with vultures
I stopped spending time with people who feed off of others' misfortune
And empty saviours like you
I don't want help from someone who can't actually do anything
I wish I had a nickle for every miracle
You claim to do so many miraculous things that if I had a nickel for each one, I'd be rich
That you easily tricked me into
But in reality, you were just manipulating me
You can lead a horse to water
You can show someone the way, but you can't make them follow it
But fate is another matter
Ultimately, what happens is out of our control
So don´t you surrender
Don't give up or give in
No no no
Absolutely not
´Cause sometimes salvation
Because sometimes the way out or the solution comes unexpectedly
In the eye of the storm
Even in the midst of chaos or difficulty
Sister, don´t you want to try and find me?
Hey, don't you want to come with me and see what happens?
I´ve no time for accusations
I don't want to argue or point fingers
Or conversations
I don't even want to talk about it
On all the bad, bad, bad things that you do
Let's just leave all the negativity behind
Just a note from the jailer
I'm just letting you know
Drugs and the relation
That your drug use and behavior
To all the people around you
Is affecting those around you
I´ve kept secret your superstitions
I've kept your irrational beliefs to myself
And all its twisted wisdom
And all the damaging ideas that come with it
That I fell into
That I believed for a while
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@WILLIchilli
To lessen my troubles
I stopped hanging out with relatives
And empty saviours like you
I wish i had a nickel for every miracle
That you easily tricked me into
You can lead a horse to water
But faith is another matter
So don't you surrender
Cause sometimes salvation
In the eye of the storm
Sister do you wanna try and find me?
I've no time for accusations
Or conversations on all the bad, bad things you do.
Just a note from your jailor
Drugs and the relations
To all the people around you
You can lead a horse to water
But faith is another matter
So don't you surrender
Cause sometimes salvation
In the eye of the storm
Sister, do you wanna try and find me?
I've kept secret your superstitions
And all its twisted wisdom
That i fell into
You can lead a horse to water (oh you know, you can)
But faith is another matter
So don't you, so don't you surrender
Sometimes... sometimes salvation
Salvation!
Salvation!
In the eye of the storm
Sister!
Don't you wanna try and find me?
Hey, sister!
Do you wanna try find me?
Hey, sister!
Do you wanna try find me?
@martinevans75
This track slaps so hard still. What is it now, 32 years old? Man where has the time gone.
@1mightyandstrong
Tell me about it. 47 and sometimes im really like 'Have I actually been out of high school for 30 years and what exactly have I been doing for those 30 years.......hahahaha .
We are all prisoners of time.
@actionman4205
I feel this comment to the bottom of my heart and I’m only 31. I grew up as little kid loving this band along with other great music! Time flies, try to catch it!
@silkywellman315
That guitar solo still gives me chills. Marc Ford is incredible!
@jamesturner1525
@Noah Ark ~3:10
@poopnewman7775
He's my favorite Lead Man out of everyone who ever played with them.
He played on their best works in my mind.
@Bendthenote
Totally agree.. its almost impossible for me not to crank the volume when the solo is about to arrive.
@slowstang88
The whole band is incredible, the kick the shit out of U2 as far as Georgia bands goes
@hippydippy
@slowstang88 What? LMAO!
@stickiepants1
This is one of the greatest rock and roll songs in history. From one of the greatest rock and roll albums in history.