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.

Sunflower
The Black Crowes Lyrics

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I've been lost in the headlights
All night long
I said I've felt taller
Yes I heard the dealer's song

Said babe don't mark me absent
I only missed out by a fraction
Be the sun that bursts through my clouds

It's hard enough just living on this ground

Say don't pretend to me
Oh I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need
Thought nothing would surprise me
I was wrong now I see come on baby and just do me
Said if you please

This made me reminiscing
About the honey we made
I feel warm in your blizzard
And your flood I crave

I won't abuse my anger
I promise you no lecture
Come be the sun bursting through my clouds
It's hard enough just living on the ground

Say don't pretend to me
I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need
Thought nothing would surprise me
I was wrong now I see come on baby and just do me

Say don't pretend to me
Oh I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need
I thought nothing would surprise me
I was wrong but now I see

I see I might have made a mistake baby
Because I love you
Because I love you baby
I, I said I really do
I said I said I said
I really really really do
Well I don't wanna live without you baby

I can't live with Uncle Stakeout baby
I I I I got to do it

Overall Meaning

The Black Crowes's song She Gave Good Sunflower appears to be about a tumultuous relationship between two people. The first two lines of the song suggest that the singer has been lost or confused for a while, and that he has felt more confident in himself lately. He mentions hearing the dealer's song, which could be interpreted as listening to something that is not good for him, possibly a drug dealer. However, this is not clear. The chorus of the song, "Say don't pretend to me, oh I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need," indicates that the singer is pleading with his partner to be honest with him and give him what he needs emotionally.

The second verse makes reference to memories of their past intimacy, and the strong desire the singer has for his partner. He also promises not to let his anger take over and to refrain from lectures. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the necessity of the partner's honesty and emotional support. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer is willing to do anything to keep his partner, even if it involves making a mistake.

Overall, the lyrics of She Gave Good Sunflower suggest a rocky relationship where the singer is struggling to make things work with his partner. He desires emotional support and honesty, but feels uncertain about the future of the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been lost in the headlights All night long
I've been confused and unsure about my path and where I'm headed for a long time now.

I said I've felt taller Yes I heard the dealer's song
I thought I had overcome all obstacles but then I encountered something that diminished me in some way- perhaps a vice like gambling.

Said babe don't mark me absent I only missed out by a fraction Be the sun that bursts through my clouds It's hard enough just living on this ground
I know I've messed up and let you down but don't give up on me yet. Be the one thing that gives me hope and makes me feel like life is worth living- like the sun that pierces through darkness.

Say don't pretend to me Oh I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need Thought nothing would surprise me I was wrong now I see come on baby and just do me Said if you please
Don't keep me in the dark, I need your light and energy to survive. I know I was taking you for granted but now I see the error of my ways and I'm begging you to accept me again.

This made me reminiscing About the honey we made I feel warm in your blizzard And your flood I crave
Thinking back on our past experiences together made me feel nostalgic and reminded me of the warmth and intensity of our relationship. I want that again- I want to feel overwhelmed by you

I won't abuse my anger I promise you no lecture Come be the sun bursting through my clouds It's hard enough just living on the ground
I won't lash out at you or judge you harshly. Please come back into my life and brighten it up so that living can feel less burdensome.

Say don't pretend to me I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need Thought nothing would surprise me I was wrong now I see come on baby and just do me
I need you to be my light in the darkness. I was foolish to think that nothing could catch me off guard but I've been proven wrong. Please forgive me and give me another chance.

Say don't pretend to me Oh I beg and I plead, your sunflower I need I thought nothing would surprise me I was wrong but now I see
I was naive to think that life couldn't bring me unexpected twists and turns but now I realize that the only constant thing I want in my life is you.

I see I might have made a mistake baby Because I love you Because I love you baby I, I said I really do I said I said I said I really really really do Well I don't wanna live without you baby I can't live with Uncle Stakeout baby I I I I got to do it
I know I was wrong but I hope you can forgive me because I'm in love with you. I can't imagine life without you and I'm willing to do anything to prove how much you mean to me, even if it means leaving some negative influence like someone nicknamed Uncle Stakeout behind.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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