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.
Forever Goodbye
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch the clock hit half past 2
Tape plays wild in my head
All the things I wished I'd said to you
Yesterday I went to call you
Pressed the number that came naturally
Hoping to hear your voice again
Wouldn't have taken you for granted
If I knew then what I know today
Wish I could've had a moment of your time
Wish I could've taken your pain away
I know it's time to let you go
But the truth is so hard to bear
And every time I turn around
I always feel you standing somewhere near
Wouldn't have taken you for granted
As I sit here watch the clouds paint the sky
How do I live and fill this empty space
Never thought I'd have to try
Forever goodbye
Wouldn't have taken you for granted
As I sit here watch the clouds paint the sky
How do I live and fill this empty space
Well I guess I'll have to try
Forever...Goodbye
The lyrics to Robert Cray's song "Forever Goodbye" convey feelings of regret, longing, and loss. The singer of the song is unable to sleep and is haunted by memories of someone they wish they could have treated better. They lament missed opportunities to express their feelings and make amends. The phone call they make to the person they are missing goes unanswered, adding to their sense of isolation and despair.
The second verse suggests that the person they are mourning was in pain or struggling in some way, and the singer wishes they could have helped to alleviate that pain. The chorus repeats the phrase "Wouldn't have taken you for granted," emphasizing the singer's regret and the sense that they had not fully appreciated the person they have lost. They also express the difficulty of moving on, and the sense that the person they are missing is somehow still present in their life.
Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the regret that can come from not fully appreciating the people in our lives, and the pain that comes with losing them.
Line by Line Meaning
Another night without sleep
I spent another night awake without any sleep
Watch the clock hit half past 2
I observed the time as it reached 2:30 in the morning
Tape plays wild in my head
My thoughts race uncontrollably through my mind
All the things I wished I'd said to you
I regret not expressing everything I wanted to say to you
Yesterday I went to call you
I attempted to contact you yesterday
Pressed the number that came naturally
I dialed your phone number from memory
Hoping to hear your voice again
I desired to hear the sound of your voice once more
All the phone did was ring and ring and ring
The phone rang repeatedly but nobody answered
Wouldn't have taken you for granted
I would have cherished you more if I knew then what I know now
If I knew then what I know today
If I possessed the same knowledge I have now, back then
Wish I could've had a moment of your time
I desire to have spent more quality time with you
Wish I could've taken your pain away
I crave the ability to have relieved you of your suffering
I know it's time to let you go
I'm aware that it's time to move on from our past relationship
But the truth is so hard to bear
It's difficult to come to terms with the reality of the situation
And every time I turn around
Whenever I look back on the past
I always feel you standing somewhere near
I always sense your presence lingering around me even though you're not physically there
As I sit here watch the clouds paint the sky
I'm observing the beauty of the sky while I sit here
How do I live and fill this empty space
I'm unsure of how to move on and fill the emotional void that you left behind
Never thought I'd have to try
I never anticipated the difficulty that I would face moving on
Forever goodbye
This farewell is timeless and eternal
Contributed by Molly N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anja Treebusch
het is misschien raar
dagen gaan voorbij
zonder dat ik aan je denk
dat is maar al te waar
niet meer leef voor jou
het is nu stil in mij
mijn huis is mijn geschenk
omvat mij tegen kou
tegen slurpers en negatieven
liepen door mijn hoofd als dieven
en ik nu ga.... lets go
in een positieve flow
mijn hoofd wat koud, maar vrij
nog heel even dan is het mei
(c) Mami
5 april 2015
Melisa Murnin
Makes me think of my dad's passing also....very emotional song! My band is currently working on performing it soon, cant wait :)
Elaine Barrett
Saw him in the early 80's in wine bars in the Bay Area. Rocked it then, rocks it now. What a guy.
Jill Feneck
listened to this man's beautiful songs all my life .love love love
Joey D
Holy crap!! That just went to the top of my favorites list, with greats like Ian Gilland's When a Blind Man Crys, or Michial Price's Aint No Love In The Heart Of The City.. Rush Tears.... Black Sabbath Solitude..
Dr WhoStrange
Robert Cray doesn't need to RIP just yet, and is still quite alive.
Robert Haddaway
Just getting into many of his songs...I just really knew his "best of " stuff. Really really good stuff when you dig deeper...like this song!
Fred Ingrassia
He makes bad love sound good. This sounds like it hurt him once before. Great song.
Donna Saas
wow, how great is he...
Cheese Pants
whatta guy... whatta soul
ElValledeLagrimas
hermosa cancion, indudablemente. Que rola neta que si.