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.
Great Big Old House
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Full of empty rooms
Nice family used to live there
But they had to move
Just the carpets on the floor
And the loadbox on the frontdoor
Is all of that remains
There used to be love, love, love
Great big old house
Once was a home
Where is a laughter
Someone tells what have been done
No more children after school
Get together by the pool
Aint it a shame
Used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
Used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
Used to be a car and toys in the backway
Someone moowing the lawn
But the movingman came and the car was towed away
And they cut the gas and phone
And now the place is all alone (yeah)
Used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
Used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
Great big old dream,
Nothing but a pain
Just a carpet on the floor
And a loadbox at the frontdoor
Is all of that remains
But there used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
Used to be love, used to be love,used to be love,
In this big old house
There used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
Used to be love, used to be love, used to be love,
The song "Great Big Old House" by Robert Cray is a poignant depiction of a home that was once filled with love and warmth, but now lies empty and abandoned. The song begins by describing the house as a "great big old house" that is "full of empty rooms." The family that used to live there has since moved away, leaving behind only the carpets on the floor and the loadbox on the front door. The lyrics express remorse over the loss of love that once filled the house, as the chorus repeats "used to be love, used to be love, used to be love."
As the song continues, it becomes clear that the house used to be a lively and bustling family home. The verses mention the laughter that once filled the rooms, the children who played by the pool after school, and the car and toys that were once in the backway. However, all of these things are gone now, replaced only by the silence and emptiness of the abandoned home. The final verse reiterates the idea that the house is now nothing but a painful memory of what it used to be; "great big old dream, nothing but a pain, just a carpet on the floor and a loadbox at the frontdoor is all that remains."
Overall, "Great Big Old House" is a beautiful and melancholy song that captures the sadness of a once-happy home that has been abandoned and left to decay. The lyrics remind us of the transience of life, and how even the most cherished memories can eventually be reduced to just a few scraps of carpet and a loadbox on the front door.
Line by Line Meaning
Great big old house
The song begins by describing a once-grand and spacious abode that was once filled with life and love, but is now empty and barren
Full of empty rooms
The house has become a cavernous and desolate place, with no signs of anyone being present
Nice family used to live there
The house was once occupied by a happy and contented family, but they have long since departed
But they had to move
The family has left the house for reasons unknown; perhaps they found a better home or were forced to relocate due to circumstances beyond their control
Just the carpets on the floor
All that is left behind in the abandoned house are the carpets that once covered the floors
And the loadbox on the frontdoor
The only sign of life that remains is the mailbox attached to the front door, which presumably still receives mail even though nobody is there to pick it up
Is all of that remains
This repeated phrase underscores the emptiness of the house and the absence of anything that might indicate its past inhabitants
There used to be love, love, love
The repeated refrain is a poignant reminder that the house was once filled with the warmth of familial love, but that feeling is now long gone
Great big old house
The chorus repeats, emphasizing how the once-magnificent home has fallen into neglect and disrepair
Once was a home
The song continues to emphasize how this house was once a joyful and welcoming place, but is now empty and silent
Where is a laughter
The singer wonders where the sounds of laughter and joy have gone; the house now seems haunted by a sense of loss and loneliness
Someone tells what have been done
The singer imagines someone coming to visit the abandoned house and reminiscing about the happy times that took place there
No more children after school
The absence of children suggests that the house was once bustling with life, but has now grown quiet with the passing of time
Get together by the pool
The happy image of family and friends gathering by the pool is contrasted with the empty, deserted house that now stands in its place
Aint it a shame
The singer laments the loss of what was once a beautiful and lively home
Used to be a car and toys in the backway
The singer describes the various signs of life that now seem like distant memories, including a car and toys left in the backyard
Someone mowing the lawn
This simple act of maintaining the lawn now seems like a distant memory, a reminder of happier times when the house was cared for and loved
But the movingman came and the car was towed away
The image of a moving truck taking away the family's possessions is a poignant reminder of how things can change so quickly, and how the loss of a home can be so devastating
And they cut the gas and phone
The absence of utilities like gas and phone service emphasizes just how completely the house has been abandoned and left to decay
And now the place is all alone (yeah)
The sense of isolation and loneliness is emphasized in this closing line, which emphasizes how the house is now cut off from the outside world and left to rot
Great big old dream
In the final verse, the singer portrays the house not as an object, but as a symbol of a lost and unattainable dream
Nothing but a pain
The singer acknowledges the sadness and pain that comes with the loss of a beloved home, and how the memories of the past can be bittersweet
But there used to be love
Once again, the singer lingers on the memory of the love that once filled the home, and how it is now gone forever
Used to be love, used to be love, used to be love
The final refrain reminds the listener one last time that the true loss of the house is not in its physical decay, but in the absence of the love that once made it a home
Contributed by Xavier R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.