Remedy

Album: The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992)
Charted: 24 48
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In our interview with Black Crowes lyricist/frontman Chris Robinson, he explained: "'Remedy' is a song that essentially is about freedom. We were into the whole idea that the 'war on drugs' was just silly - it was this asinine concept to me and millions of other people. So that song to me is about freedom, plain and simple, just put in a Rock & Roll framework."
  • A track from the second Black Crowes album, this was their last song to make the Hot 100 - a surprising development considering they charted three songs from their first album and had a lot of radio support. As the band moved forward, the focused more on their core fanbase (the "connoisseurs" as Chris Robinson calls them), which circumscribed their popular fortunes.
  • The pro-marijuana stance the band espouses in this song is something they played up around this time. To help promote the album, they appeared on the cover of High Times magazine, played the Atlanta Pot Festival, and had signage at their concerts with marijuana leaves.

Comments: 2

  • Davie Crockett from Over The Hills And Far AwayJust a great song, I'd love to know if Chris wrote the lyrics to the music, or just wrote them and fit them after. They fit perfectly and I love the flair his brother plays with in this, like someone fused Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Joe Perry into one guitarist, or well, two in the Black Crowed case.

    I think this song is about more about what drives one to use drugs than drugs themselves. We get overwhelmed with more emotional turmoil in our lives than our brain can handle, so we seek a quick fix, or a Remedy, in the form of substances. Pro freedom of choice, whether we want to suffer the direct pain, or numb ourselves with a remedy and cope with it later. But in the end, the lesson learned is, remedies are only temporary we need to fix the problem for a real cure.
  • Scott from Kutztown, PaQuestion. Who are the female background singers on the Black Crowes music video "Remedy?"
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Colin Hay

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music Scene

Sub Pop Founder Bruce Pavitt On How To Create A Music SceneSong Writing

With $50 and a glue stick, Bruce Pavitt created Sub Pop, a fanzine-turned-label that gave the world Nirvana and grunge. He explains how motivated individuals can shift culture.

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"They're Playing My Song

As a songwriter and producer, Narada had hits with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Starship. But what song does he feel had the greatest impact on his career?

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.