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.
Struttin' Blues
The Black Crowes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ringing ears never gonna' stop
Stand tall sickness creeping right on
Struttin' blues gonna' find me again
Got my head spinnin' round
Wonderin' when it's gonna stop
Got my head spinnin' round
Out there, breeze is finally blowing
No tellin' when the train pulls in
My baby got her engine hummin'
Struttin' blues gonna' find me again
(Repeat Chorus 3 times)
Hey boys, hanging on the corner
Where you hidin' when the lights go dim
This thing lightin' got your thunder want to crack'n
Struttin' blues want to find me again
(Repeat Chorus 4 times)
The lyrics to The Black Crowes' song "Struttin' Blues" describe a feeling of restlessness and anxiety that the singer is experiencing. He has been stung by a buzzing bee, and his ears are constantly ringing, which is making him feel dizzy and sick. Despite these physical symptoms, he is struggling to stand tall and keep going. He knows that the "struttin' blues" will find him again soon, indicating that this is not the first time he has felt this way. The chorus repeats the idea of his head spinning round and wondering when it will stop, emphasizing the sense of unease and disorientation he is feeling.
As the song continues, there is a shift in tone. The singer talks about the breeze finally blowing and the possibility of a train pulling in. He mentions his "baby" and her engine humming, which could be taken to mean his car or a metaphor for his sex drive. Either way, this section of the song is more hopeful and upbeat than the previous verses. However, the singer is aware that the "struttin' blues" are still lurking around the corner, waiting to find him again. In the final chorus, this idea is repeated four times, driving home the sense of inevitability and cyclicality that the singer is feeling.
Overall, "Struttin' Blues" is a song that speaks to the universal experience of anxiety and restlessness. The singer is struggling to keep going despite physical and emotional challenges, and he knows that even when things seem to be improving, the blues will find him again. The song's bluesy sound and repetitive chorus reinforce this idea of cyclicality and the sense that the singer is stuck in a pattern.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey boys, buzzin' bee stingin'
The singer is addressing a group of people and acknowledging a feeling of discomfort, using the metaphor of being stung by a bee.
Ringing ears never gonna' stop
The discomfort is causing the singer to hear ringing in their ears that doesn't seem to be going away.
Stand tall sickness creeping right on
Despite the discomfort, the singer is trying to remain strong, but the sickness they're feeling is getting worse.
Struttin' blues gonna' find me again
The singer knows that their blues, or feelings of sadness and melancholy, will come back to them.
Got my head spinnin' round
The discomfort is making the singer feel dizzy and disoriented.
Wonderin' when it's gonna stop
The singer is unsure of how long the discomfort will last and when it will go away.
Out there, breeze is finally blowing
The singer is experiencing a change in the weather, with a breeze finally starting to blow.
No tellin' when the train pulls in
The singer is uncertain of when their situation will change or when they will see something better in their future, like a train pulling into the station.
My baby got her engine hummin'
The singer's significant other is feeling good and energized, referenced by the idea of an engine humming.
Struttin' blues gonna' find me again
Despite the change in weather and their partner feeling good, the singer knows that their sadness will return.
Hey boys, hanging on the corner
The singer is addressing the group of people again, saying that they are all hanging out on the street corner.
Where you hidin' when the lights go dim
The singer is asking where these people go or what they do when things get tough and the lights go out.
This thing lightin' got your thunder want to crack'n
The lighting (as in electricity) is causing some sort of problem or disturbance for the group, making them feel agitated and restless.
Struttin' blues want to find me again
The singer knows that their feelings of sadness and melancholy will come back to them, and they may have to deal with them alone since no one else seems to understand.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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