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.
I'm Walkin'
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seem like thirty-five
Cause everything you said
Turned out to be a lie
I was sweet to you,
I didn't even have to try
Now I look into your eyes
All I see is the other guy
All that talkin',
You ain't got nothin' to say
Well I can tell you
It's time that had to pay
You're gonna pay
You're gonna be sorry some day
That'll while I'm walkin'
Tired of you talkin' down to me
Baby I'm walkin'
Walkin' away from you and me
I wanna be free
I wanna be free from you and me
We were good toghether
That was long ago
Before you left the high road
Took off down the below
You knew what you were doin'
I didn't even have to see
You can fool me twice girl,
I think it's shame on me
Day by day
Sun goes down in flames
All that you can say
Is I'm the one to blame
It's all the same
Just play your little girl game
That'll while I'm walkin'
Tired of you talkin' down to me
Baby I'm walkin'
Walkin' away from you and me
I wanna be free
I wanna be free from you and me
That'll while I'm walkin'
Tired of you talkin' down to me
Baby I'm walkin'
Yeh, Finnaly found the key
You know I'm walkin'
Strollin' out the door
It's all gone-babe
And I won't be back no more
I gotta be free
I gotta be free from you and me
The lyrics to Robert Cray's song "I'm Walkin'" describe a relationship that has gone sour. The singer has been with his partner for ten years, but it feels like thirty-five. The reason for the extended feeling of time is because everything his partner has said turned out to be a lie. The singer was kind to his partner without even trying, but now when he looks into her eyes, all he sees is the other guy.
The relationship has deteriorated to the point where his partner is always talking down to him, and the singer is tired of it. He has had enough and wants to be free from her and the relationship. He realizes that they were good together, but that was a long time ago. His partner has since left the high road and taken off down below. She knew what she was doing, and the singer didn't even have to see. The sun goes down in flames day by day, and all his partner can say is that he's to blame.
The singer is done with the relationship and all the games that come with it. He's walking away for good and won't be back. He finally found the key to freedom, and he's strolling out the door. He's done, and he won't look back.
Line by Line Meaning
Ten long years,
The ten years we spent together felt like an unbearable thirty-five.
Seem like thirty-five
I felt like I was stuck in our relationship for a very long time.
Cause everything you said
I believed everything you promised me.
Turned out to be a lie
You broke every promise you made.
I was sweet to you,
I treated you with love and kindness.
I didn't even have to try
It came naturally to me to be good to you.
Now I look into your eyes
I see the truth in your eyes now.
All I see is the other guy
You are no longer the person I fell in love with, you have become someone else.
All that talkin',
You have been talking non-stop, but there is nothing of substance in your words.
You ain't got nothin' to say
You are just spewing empty words.
Well I can tell you
Let me tell you something.
It's time that had to pay
You will have to pay the price for your actions.
You're gonna pay
You will face the consequences of what you did.
You're gonna be sorry some day
You will regret what you did someday.
That'll while I'm walkin'
I will be walking away from you while all of this happens.
Tired of you talkin' down to me
I am tired of you belittling and disrespecting me.
Baby I'm walkin'
I am leaving you.
Walkin' away from you and me
I am walking away from this relationship.
I wanna be free
I want freedom from this toxic relationship.
I wanna be free from you and me
I want to break free from this destructive relationship we have.
We were good toghether
We were once happy together.
That was long ago
But that happiness is now a distant memory.
Before you left the high road
Before you chose the path of lies and betrayal.
Took off down the below
You went down a dark path.
You knew what you were doin'
You were aware of what you were doing to me.
I didn't even have to see
I was blind to your deception.
You can fool me twice girl,
You deceived me more than once.
I think it's shame on me
I blame myself for trusting you after everything you did.
Day by day
Every day.
Sun goes down in flames
Each day ends in chaos and pain.
All that you can say
You have nothing else to say.
Is I'm the one to blame
You are trying to shift the blame to me.
It's all the same
It's a never-ending cycle of lies and pain.
Just play your little girl game
You are still trying to manipulate and deceive me.
Yeh, Finnaly found the key
I have finally found the solution to my problems.
You know I'm walkin'
You know that I am leaving you.
Strollin' out the door
I am calmly walking away from this relationship.
It's all gone-babe
Our relationship is over.
And I won't be back no more
I am not coming back to this toxic relationship.
I gotta be free
I need to be free from this relationship.
I gotta be free from you and me
I need to break free from the negativity of this relationship.
Contributed by Allison M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.