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.
Porch Light
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And her porchlight's on
The signal
That her man is gone
She'll open her back door wide
I'll slip down the alley, then slip inside
She's waiting
In perfume
Probably nothing more
She'll greet me with her arms spread wide
Hit by the darkness, we'll fly, fly, fly
Standing here
I feel just like a criminal
Returning to the seen of the crime
Every time that we steal these loving hours
We promise that it will be the last time
Sneak out
Just before the dawn
Knowing that we've done her man wrong
He's out working while we're at plays
And my conscious hounds me
The whole long day
Mmm
Sun down
My blood starts to stir
All my thoughts go back to her
At midnight my guilt will ease
And I'll be watching her porch-light
Begging please, please, please
Standing here
I feel just like a criminal
Returning to the seen of the crime, yeah, yeah, yeah
And every time that we steal these loving hours
When we're stealing, when we're stealing it
We promise that it will be the last time, yeah
The lyrics of "Porch Light" by Robert Cray depict a story of a man having an affair with a married woman. The porch light serves as a signal to indicate whether her husband is home or not. The man sneaks in through the back door and meets her inside, where they begin their illicit affair. They feel guilty and promise to end it, but the physical and emotional connection keeps pulling them back together. The song conveys the sense of feeling like a criminal, knowing what they are doing is wrong but unable to resist the temptation.
The song has a melancholic tone, with the guitar’s steady rhythm and the blues-like melody adding to the mood. The repetitiveness of the chorus emphasizes the conflict between their desires and the guilt they feel. The lyrics are straightforward, with no hidden meanings, and they convey the raw emotions felt by the characters.
The metaphor of the porch light serves as a significant detail in the story, highlighting the couple's secretive and sneaky behavior. The porch light is also a symbol of hope for the man; he knows that the woman is waiting for him, and he sees it as a beacon of light that guides him to her. Overall, the song portrays the complexities of human relationships, the struggle between desire and morality, and the difficulty of breaking away from a toxic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight
It's late at night
And her porchlight's on
The light on her porch is a signal that she's waiting for me
The signal
Her porch light is a signal that her man is not at home
That her man is gone
Her man is not at home and she's free to be with me
She'll open her back door wide
She'll leave the door open so that I can sneak inside
I'll slip down the alley, then slip inside
I'll sneak in quietly to avoid being seen
She's waiting
She's waiting for me to arrive
Just inside the door
She'll be waiting just inside the open door
In perfume
She's wearing perfume
Probably nothing more
She's not wearing too much else, if you catch my drift
She'll greet me with her arms spread wide
She'll be happy to see me and give me a big hug
Hit by the darkness, we'll fly, fly, fly
We'll go into a dark room and enjoy each other's company
Standing here
I'm standing outside her door
I feel just like a criminal
I feel guilty for being with another man's woman
Returning to the seen of the crime
I feel guilty for coming back to her house
Every time that we steal these loving hours
Every time we spend time together, I feel like we're doing something wrong
We promise that it will be the last time
We tell ourselves that we won't do it again, but we always do
Sneak out
I leave her house quietly
Just before the dawn
It's almost morning
Knowing that we've done her man wrong
We know that what we're doing is not right and that we're hurting her man
He's out working while we're at plays
Her man is working hard while we're having fun together
And my conscious hounds me The whole long day
I feel guilty about what I've done and it bothers me all day
Sun down
The sun is setting
My blood starts to stir
I start to feel excited when I think about seeing her again
All my thoughts go back to her
I keep thinking about her and can't get her out of my mind
At midnight my guilt will ease
When I see her again, I won't feel as guilty
And I'll be watching her porch-light
I'll be waiting for her porch light to come on, so I'll know she's waiting for me
Begging please, please, please
I want to be with her again and can't resist her
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: PATRICIA WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind