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
Pulls those shades down tight
Yeah, she gives a smile when the pain comes
The pain gonna make everything alright

Says she talks to angels
They call her out by her name
Oh yeah, she talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name

She keeps a lock of hair in her pocket
She wears a cross around her neck
Yes, the hair is from a little boy
And the cross from someone she has not met, well, not yet

Says she talks to angels
Says they all know her name
Oh yeah, she talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name

She don't know no lover
None that I ever seen
Yeah, to her that ain't nothing
But to me it means, means everything

She paints her eyes as black as night now
She pulls those shades down tight
Oh yeah, there's a smile when the pain comes
The pain gonna make everything alright, alright yeah

She talks to angels
Says they call her out by her name
Oh yeah, angels
Call her out by her name
Oh-oh, angel
They call her out by her name
Oh, she talks to angels
They call her out, yeah, yeah
Call her out
Don't you know that they call her out by her name


Lyrics submitted by spliphstar

She Talks To Angels Lyrics as written by Rich S. Robinson Christopher Mark Robinson

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

She Talks To Angels song meanings
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127 Comments

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  • +8
    General Comment

    Not sure if anyone else has postulated this theory but...

    Heroine seems pretty likely here as most have said. And the way I see it, alot of people who are doing heroine are "talking to angels" simply because they are so close to death.

    If you want to look deeper. Trouble with the family is often a result of drug addiction. "She'll tell you she's an orphan."

    Obviously she has lost someone. Could be a child or a sibling. Probably a child. "Lock of hair".

    The last two things to comment on are how she know no lover. People who are addicted to powerful drugs, especially opiates, are likely to fixate on them as the most important thing. They don't pursue relationships. And pulling the shades down tight and painting her eyes... speaks to me of shame.

    Sounds like a good person with a dangerous drug habit.

    Gr8one666on December 28, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    this is about a girl whose family disaproves of her drug use. she doesnt mention addiction in their company, she has to hide who she really is. she pulls the shades down tight when she comes out as herself so no one will see her. she is so used to the pain of hiding herself, she smiles when the pain comes. bc the makes her stronger, and everything alright. she'd rather be an orphan than have her family that doesnt accept her. the one person she loved that her family accepted was the little boy. and the cross represents jesus, who she hasnt met yet. but she talks to angels, which could be the drug dealers or just the reality of everything

    piperon February 09, 2002   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    I agree with everyone's interpretation of this song. Every song is gonna mean something to each one. I know Chris has several times that this song was not about anyone and that he just wrote it one night (I believe he wrote some parts at a bar and then put all the parts together I can't say for sure though)but however it's an awesome song!!! But I feel (or think) this song is about a girl/woman who had a little boy and he died so she kept a lock of his hair!! She wears the cross praying and asking God (also talking to Angels) why did this happen!! After he died she became so depressed she turned to drugs to deal with the pain, she pulls the shades down because she has withdraw from society and even her family. And yes I believe her eyes are painted black because of the drugs and crying from her loss!! I also picture her dressed in black at all times because she's mourning!! I also believe that her smile comes when she's high and she is believing the angels are talking to her (maybe the little boy idk)!! But this is just the way I feel about the song. I have loved the Black Crowes even when no one even knew who they were lol!! They are so different and the songs they write and just so deep and meaningful!! Just awesome!! They are the best band ever and best band that will ever be (my opinion) My brother is a musician and lives in Los Angeles and writes songs for several popular artist and I told him I just want ONE thing from him and ONE thing only and thats to meet Chris!! I'm just obsessed with him, his song writing and it would just make my whole life just to sit down and talk to him about his music!! My brothers response was OH I see him all the time so as soon as I can get away and go I'M SO THERE LOL!!!

    mwalthallon January 05, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I mostly agree with everybody else's meanings, but I noticed something when I was listening to it earlier. To me, "She talks to angels, they call her out by her name" refers to her ODing several times. Perhaps someone found her and was calling her name out to try and get a response and in the haze of being on the edge of death, she thought she was talking to angels.

    johnpwnage99on March 10, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I always believed that the song is about a mother who lost her child and she turns to drugs to deal with the pain. The line about the lock of hair in her pocket being from a little boy, is talking about her son's hair. She talks to angels because her son is dead and is an angel.

    The first stanza is about her isolating herself and turning to the drugs to cope.

    jimbillo77on October 12, 2012   Link
  • +3
    My Opinion

    She is addicted to Heroin from things that have happened in her life... Like her family problems and whoever the lock of hair is from.

    "There's a smile when the pain comes. Pain's gonna make everything alright."... Shooting it up.

    ChloeNicMon December 19, 2012   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    The song is about heroin addiction.

    "She don't know no lover None that I ever seen But to her that aint nothin But to me it means everything"

    This means EXACTLY what it says. When you are addicted to opiates, you don't feel the urge to be intimate with other people. Most opiate addicts are single and loners, and they don't get lonely like normal people do because the drug satisfies endorphins in the same way a lover does for someone who's not dependent on opiates. Heroin is a very solitary drug in that you'd rather just chill within yourself than be social. It's a warm comfort blanket the same way a lover is.

    To her, the fact that she doesn't have a lover means nothing to her, because the opiate is her substitute, it fulfills her and makes her feel good and so she doesn't need a lover.

    graceMazinon June 04, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I had an addiction - cutting. It was how I delt with my pain. One night, one of my friends played this song for me and said "this is your song, catherine." I heard it once, and cried...especially when he repeated "she don't know no lover / none that i've ever seen / and to her that ain't nothing / but to me it means evepything": this was his way of telling me that he'd fallen in love with me.

    We never became a couple, but he was a fantastic friend through a very hard time for me. he helped me overcome a lot of my inner-demons, and most importantly gave me a hand to hold when I needed it.

    This song will forever remind me of a rough point in my life and the wonderful boy who helped me through it.

    catherinekson April 30, 2002   Link
  • +2
    Memory

    The character in the song is sad because She Talks to Angels is about terror, temptation and abuse. Chris and Rich describe a girl who has been raped and molested by her family. Sad and Brilliant Southern Rock gothic ballad! The Saddest Dixie song ever!

    rabbitbunnyon October 22, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think Piper's is right on about this being a song about a girl's addiction (to drugs).

    The lyrics, "She paints her eyes as black as night now She pulls those shades down tight She gives a smile when the pain comes The pain gonna' make everything alright" In my opinion, pain is the drug she uses (possibly heroin?)

    I also agree with Piper about the meaning of "And the cross from someone she has not met" (God) "Not yet" (Meaning she's soon to succumb to her addiction?)

    BUT why does she have a lock of the boy's hair? I gather she talks to angels (and they call her by her name) because she's soon to leave this earth. Maybe the angels are the drugs that will lead her to be with angels (as we know them). Just a guess.

    Cool_Dandyon February 28, 2002   Link

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