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.
Distant Shore
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In an ancient land
Swept away with anger
Through the streets, they ran
Block to block
House to house
Man to man
They fought hand to hand
And war, begat war
All on a distant shore
Who are they?
The people that they seek
Innocent or guilty?
For harm and injury
Not the young
Not the old
It's hard to find
The truth untold
(Spooky noises)
Crucify them, Crucify them!
They did shout
All would suffer
There would be no doubt
That war begat war
All on a distant shore
Hidden in the back
Behind all their anger
There stands greed
And all that it needs
Greed for the money
Greed for the power
Many will die
For few to realize
(More spooks!)
Mercy, mercy!
The angels cried
Remember the lies
Of those that die
Cause war begat war
All on a distant shore
Just because they say it
Doesn't make it so
Some day they'll see that
Then they'll fight no more
Cause war begat war
War begat war
On a distant shore
Someday they'll see it
And they'll fight no more
Cause war begat war
(Just because they say it)
(Doesn't make it so)
(Some day they'll see that)
(Then they'll fight no more)
Mmmmm
The lyrics of Robert Cray's song "Distant Shore" convey the message of war and its devastating outcomes. The song begins with describing an ancient battle in an ancient land, where the fury of the war swept the town, leading them to fight hand to hand, block by block, man to man. The chorus of the song reveals that the war has beget another war, all on a distant shore. The lyrics suggest that the intention of the war is unclear and perhaps driven by greed, for those in power and those seeking it, with innocent people dying for it.
The lyrics in the second stanza hint at the emotional trauma that people go through during such wars. The people they seek, may or may not be guilty of the crimes and injuries, leading to a perpetual cycle of war. The chants of "Crucify them, Crucify them" reveal people's outrage, leading to an indiscriminate suffering of innocents who had no part in the cause of war. The addition of spooky noises creates an eerie atmosphere, creating a mental image of the horror.
The song concludes on a hopeful note; just because they say it, doesn't make it so, and someday they'll see it, leading them to fight no more. The lyrics deliver a message that, in the end, wars lead to more wars and pain, with innocents suffering the most, and greed for power and money driving wars. The message is powerful, and the lyrics are well crafted to convey it.
Line by Line Meaning
An ancient battle
Refers to a battle of the past
In an ancient land
Location of the ancient battle
Swept away with anger
Describes the intensity of the battle with the use of the emotion 'anger'
Through the streets, they ran
Depicts the chaos that the battle caused
Block to block
Describes the extent of the battle, spreading through multiple blocks
House to house
The intensity of the battle to each household
Man to man
Warriors fought each other one on one
They fought hand to hand
Fighting style preferred was close combat
And war, begat war
Describes how the warfare led to more warfare
All on a distant shore
The battles occurred in a geographic far off place
Who are they?
Questions the identity of the enemies
The people that they seek
Referring to the targeted group of people
Innocent or guilty?
Asks whether the victims were innocent or deserving of harm
For harm and injury
The reasons for the violent acts
Not the young
Excludes children as part of the targeted group
Not the old
Excludes the elderly as part of the targeted group
It's hard to find
Difficult to determine
The truth untold
The facts are unclear and unknown
Crucify them, Crucify them!
Demanding the persecution of the targeted people
They did shout
Describes the loudness of the protesters
All would suffer
The desired result of the persecution
There would be no doubt
The certainty of consequences
Hidden in the back
Something concealed or obscure
Behind all their anger
The cause of the intense emotions
There stands greed
The true motive behind the persecution
And all that it needs
The things that greed require
Greed for the money
Desire for wealth
Greed for the power
Desire for authority and control
Many will die
Many people will lose their lives
For few to realize
The selfish reason behind the persecution is appreciated by only a select group of individuals
Mercy, mercy!
A request for forgiveness and compassion
The angels cried
A metaphor for divine intervention and/or empathy
Remember the lies
Drawing attention to deception
Of those that die
The lies continue even after death
Just because they say it
Not every statement is true
Doesn't make it so
Calling for factual verification
Some day they'll see that
Pointing out that the truth will eventually become evident
Then they'll fight no more
The acknowledgement of truth will put an end to future conflicts
Someday they'll see it
Reiterating the possibility of discovering the truth
Mmmmm
An emotive vocalization, probably indicating reflection after an intense discourse.
Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.