Judee Sill was a California-born folk singer who earned a cult following in the early '70s with her classically influenced spiritual songs. "Crayon Angels," from her self-titled debut album, finds the singer clinging to her faith despite the hardships in her life. Things that were once sacred have lost their significance. The magic rings she made were simply cheap accessories that turned her finger green, and her mystic roses - often used in art to signify a divine miracle or the presence of God - died like ordinary flowers. Phony prophets made her question everything she once believed. Still, she sits "waitin' for God and a train to the Astral plane."
A former prostitute and drug addict, Sill honed her musical skill when she landed in reform school after committing a string of armed robberies. She eventually met David Crosby and Graham Nash, who invited her to open for them on tour, which led to her signing with David Geffen's new label, Asylum Records. After releasing two albums with little commercial success and losing her record deal, Sill retreated from the spotlight and spiraled into drug addiction. She died of an overdose the day after Thanksgiving in 1979 at age 35.
The song found a new audience when indie band Fleet Foxes covered it on the internet series The Black Cab Sessions in 2008.
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