Black Crowes: She Talks To Angels Meaning

Song Released: 1991

She Talks To Angels Lyrics

She never mentions the word addiction
In certain company
Yes, she’ll tell you she’s an orphan
After you meet her family

She paints her eyes as black as night, now
She pulls those shades down tight
Yeah, she gives a smile when the pain...

1. anonymous

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   Feb 11th 2011 !⃝

   The cross is from Jesus, whom she has not met-yet. But will someday. The lock of hers id from her son, who she has lost due to her addiction.
2. anonymous

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   Jan 1st 2011 !⃝

   During VH-1's The Black Crowes Storytellers, filmed at The Bottom Line in New York City on August 27, 1996, lead singer Chris Robinson explained that this song is not about "one" person, but rather a "hotdog" (as he put it) of people that they knew from the Atlanta club scene in their early days. "Not all the best parts" explained Chris, "or the best parts for you." Chris says that there was always a girl in the club scene back then with really dark makeup (like Siouxsie And The Banshees), and after thinking about her one day, he scribbled the lyric "she paints her eyes as black as night." He then went on to write an entire biography (completely made up, by the way) about her in the form of the song that then became "She Talks to Angels." (thanks, Jacob - Dallas, TX)But it is what ever we want it to be about right!! Maybe the angels are people in recovery. that call her out by her name. She only mentions the word addiction in the rooms of people who understand? In recovery it's said work through the pain and the pain will make everything alright in time! or pain is the touchstone of all spiritual growth! The very first time I heard this song that's where my mind went. And every time i hear it I go right back to that day.
3. vivis

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   Oct 26th 2010 !⃝

   I (almost) totally agree with the "anonymus" interpretation on December 9th, 2006 09:56AM... Almost because I think that the part of "she keeps a lock of hair in her pocket... the hair is from a little boy" is about her son. She probably had a son, but he's not with her. There are some options then... The boy is not with her because she gave him for adoption; someone took him from her 'cause of her drugs abuse or he can even be dead. It's very commom in some cultures for a mother to keep a lock of hair of her kid with her.
4. anonymous

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   Dec 6th 2008 !⃝

   it could be an addiction to any drug ... when you start to come down the pain tells you are still alive, the lock of hair is probably a child she gave up and now regrets it..i dont think the angels are exactly angels.. i think they are the people who help her with her addiction wich is why they would know her name... "she tells you she is an ophan after you meet her family", her family all knows about her problems and are a shamed of her for it .... "she paints her eyes as black as night now" is her way hiding behind the make-up.... in the end he says "no body loves no-one" she is in a slave to her addictions
5. anonymous

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   Nov 3rd 2007 !⃝

   I agree with all of your interpretations.. but I added a few of my own:
   "She never mentions the word addiction in certain company"
   -She's ashamed of her heroin habit and doesn't talk about it with people who don't use.
   "The hair is from a little boy"
   - I think that his suggests that she still believes in innocence and good as well as the hurt and loss of her son.
6. Ssheska77

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   Apr 21st 2006 !⃝

   Song is really beautiful. This song really hits home. Reminds me of my mother. I think the woman is using drugs, "Smile when the pain comes, The pains gonna make everything alright", but I believe this life style also requires one to become a compulsive liar, "She tells you she's an orphan after you meet her family" You lie to cover things up to yourself and others, to try and keep sane. I don't think anyone really wants to tell someone "Hey I'm an addict and I've lost everything. I think they paint pretty pictures so they can sleep at night, its addiction denial. When they say she talk to Angels, I think she on the verge of insanity, maybe loneliness and loss, for the little boy that was taken from her or he passed on, whatever it maybe this person is on the verge of death or insanity.
7. anonymous

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   Jan 18th 2006 !⃝

   "She never mentions the word addiction...she smiles when the pain comes 'cause the pain's gonna make everything alright." It's obvious that the song is about heroin addiction. She hates that it enslaves her, yet she knows she will only be okay when she's got a fix. She's got hope, though, which is the meaning behind the whole locket of hair and cross around her neck. Every addict has a story about a dysfunctional family or some other crutch to justify their downward spiral into a world governed by drugs, but the bottom line is that we are all well educated on the evils of drugs, so the best way to keep from submitting to addiction is to never try the drugs...not even once. Good song...sad lesson.
8. Rbcc603

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   Oct 25th 2005 !⃝

   A woman in a dysfunctional family feels alone, isolated, depressed. The hair from a little boy - is a loss to death and/or bad choices. I think the boy to be her child. Only a mother would keep a lock of a childs hair. The addiction is to her loss and pain. Her eyes painted black is discoloration of sadness, depression. And she lay in bed in the dark alone crying, praying and talking to angels to help her out of her pain. Possibly talking to the boy, as she pictures him to be an angel. It feels better for her to cry to release her pain.
   
   I think the smile is because that is her only release of the pain. Probably because no one understands her pain. Because it is a pain so great that no one else can even begin to know the true feeling. The cross is a sign of her faith and probably the only reason she has not commited suicide. (Funeral homes here give grieving parents necklaces with a cross and a dove charm on them. A symbol to ask for a feeling of peace.) She prays for help to relieve her pain. She probably prays for death in her sleep but not by her own hand. So that she can be with the angels she talks to. She don't know no lover - is due to the addiction with the child consumes her life and she has nothing to give, or feels unworthy of love, or has a fear of loving someone only for them to leave her with death. If no one understands her pain then a lover is useless.

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