While Cray was among artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and George Thorogood who got wider radio airplay and regular MTV video exposure during the late 1980s, he started playing guitar in his early teens. At Denbigh High School in Newport News, Virginia, his love of blues and soul music flourished as he started collecting records. Originally, Robert Cray wanted to become an architect, but at about the same time he was going to study design in architecture he formed a local band "Steakface", described as "the best band from Lakewood you never heard of". Cray on guitar and vocals contributed greatly to Steakface's set list of songs by Jimi Hendrix, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Fleetwood Mac, the Grease Band, Blodwyn Pig, Jethro Tull, Forever More, Spirit, and The Faces.
By the time he was twenty, Cray had seen his heroes Albert Collins, Freddie King and Muddy Waters in concert, and decided to form his own band. His band started playing college towns on the west coast. After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury Records in 1982. His third release, Strong Persuader, received a Grammy Award, while the crossover single "Smokin' Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition.
By then Cray was an opening act for such major stars as Eric Clapton (who remains a friend to this day), and sold out larger venues as a solo artist. Cray has generally played Fender guitars (Telecasters and Stratocasters) and there are two signature Robert Cray Stratocasters models available from Fender.
Cray continues to record and tour.
Bad Influence
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My bad my bad influence
Big town holds me back
Big town skims my mind
Small minds wear me down
Spreading salt on fertile ground
Honest pleasures now forsaken
Drastic measures to be taken
They call it bad influence
CHORUS
Free mind, free soul
It's time for liberation to flow
Free mind, free soul
It's time so let your future unfold
Call it bad
My bad my bad influence
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
Dangerous walls are closin' in
They twist the truth
Then give it a spin
Love's a grenade, I'll pull the pin
CHORUS
The circle is wide
Shadows flower into the light
Bad influence
Bad such a bad influence
You think I'm bad
You think I'm bad
Well I'm the most fun that you ever had
So good, so good
But people say I'm a bad influence
Wide mouths, narrow minds
Can't accept your difference
Open season on new ideas
They call it bad influence
CHORUS
My bad my bad influence
Just a bad influence
My bad my bad influence
Call it bad
My bad my bad influence
Wide mouths with narrow minds
Narrow minds, creak and grind
Rally to a peaceful sound
Let the barriers tumble down
My bad my bad influence
My bad my bad influence
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
Dangerous walls are closin' in
They twist the truth
Then give it a spin
If love's a grenade, better pull the pin!
Call it bad
My bad my bad influence
The song "Bad Influence" by Robert Cray is an anthem to individuality and self-expression in the face of opposition from a narrow-minded society. Through his lyrics, Cray speaks about being held back by the big town, noting that small minds wear him down and sabotage his efforts. He insists on the importance of breaking out of the mold before it sets in and taking drastic measures if necessary. Despite the criticism and name-calling, Cray stands by his free mind and soul, calling for liberation to flow and for people to let their future unfold.
Cray uses the metaphor of a circle with shadows flowering into the light to describe the widening of our perspectives and acceptance of differences. The song ultimately calls for a rally to a peaceful sound and for the barriers of narrow-mindedness to tumble down, so that individuality can thrive unimpeded. In the end, Cray embraces his supposed "bad influence" as a source of joy and liberation that contrasts with the stifling conformity of mainstream society.
Line by Line Meaning
Call it bad
People label me as bad or negative.
My bad my bad influence
I am causing a bad impact on others, and I am aware of it.
Big town holds me back
The materialistic city culture restricts my growth and creativity.
Big town skims my mind
City life makes my thoughts superficial and shallow.
Small minds wear me down
Narrow-minded people exhaust me with their conservative opinions.
Spreading salt on fertile ground
They are ruining the opportunities and possibilities with their negativity.
Honest pleasures now forsaken
I have to give up on my authentic interests because of societal norms.
Drastic measures to be taken
I need to take radical actions to break free from these limitations.
Can't accept your difference
People cannot tolerate diversity and criticize it as bad.
They call it bad influence
Others blame me for anything that goes wrong and attribute it to my personality.
Free mind, free soul
I need to liberate myself from the oppressive societal norms.
It's time for liberation to flow
It's time for me to break free and live life on my terms.
Break out of the mold before the mold sets in
I need to take charge of my life before society pigeonholes me into a role.
Dangerous walls are closin' in
I feel suffocated and trapped by the society's expectations.
They twist the truth
People manipulate facts to justify their actions and opinions.
Then give it a spin
They present the distorted facts as the truth.
Love's a grenade, I'll pull the pin
I will take the risk of expressing my love, even if it might be explosive.
The circle is wide
I am opening myself to new possibilities and experiences beyond my previous narrow perspective.
Shadows flower into the light
Even the darkest times can offer some hope and growth.
You think I'm bad
Others judge me harshly for my actions.
Well I'm the most fun that you ever had
I may not fit their definition of good, but I provide excitement and novelty in life.
So good, so good
I have qualities that shine bright, even if others don't see them as such.
Wide mouths, narrow minds
People are outspoken but with a limited and conservative view of the world.
Open season on new ideas
People blindly reject any new idea or change, and oppose it without due consideration.
Just a bad influence
I am not inherently bad; my influence depends on how people perceive and react to it.
Narrow minds, creak and grind
People's stubborn and limited perspectives hinder their growth and progress.
Rally to a peaceful sound
It's time to unite and embrace harmony instead of division.
Let the barriers tumble down
It's time to break down the mental barriers that hold us back from acceptance and growth.
My bad my bad influence
I admit to being responsible for the negative influence I may have on others.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: MICHAEL VANNICE, ROBERT CRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andzwe
From time to time there was a Rhythm and Blues / Soul revival, throughout all those years of listening to music and Robert Cray was certainly a breath of fresh air in the early 80s, in that respect. This was the song that introduced me to him and from then on there was a period you could hear his music played in every kind of joint I visited.
@marthaleashannongrayson8313
“Bad Influence” was the first album in CD format I bought. He’s incredible. I got to see him live and it was a spine-tingling show. All the stars, Robert! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
@grep67
Same here, only I have it on vinyl!
@chrisfleming4511
Robert is a blues guitar virtuoso with great vocal chops.
@mistreated
One of the all time greatest to ever do it. All hail Robert Cray
@andrzejduda5714
Robert,żyj nam 100 lat,jesteś wspaniały muzyk,pozdrowienia z Polski.
@MrBasso69
Beautiful. Great basslines from Richard
@epistte
Richard is just too cool. He could be playing jazz just as easily.
@TWTexasA1
It’s to tough to choose 1 favorite song of RC’s but I’ll definitely put this in the top 5….one of his best ever 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
@rocker671000
Spine tingling! This was the track that got me into Robert Cray and his sophisticated Blues. First heard on a freebie given away with the NME in 1985 and the fact he is still going strong so many years later is testimont to such a strong back catalogue of great albums. Long may he reign.