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.
Stay Go
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're on the go
Three times a day
Or maybe more
Where you run to
I just don't know
I turn around
Didn't put any gas in it
When you brought it back
You're out last night
The night before
And the night before that
Oh, you're starting to worry me
Can I have the car keys back?
In, out
In, out
In and out
Just like a cat
Never, ever stay at home, babe
If you're here it's just to change clothes
This in and out is driving me crazy
Are you gonna stay or are you gonna go?
I'd love to have a date with you
Being my wife and everything
Tomorrow morning
When you get home
You're gonna find
There's something wrong
I sold the car
And hid the phone
So you and I
Can be home alone
Now maybe we can take a walk together or something
That'd be real nice
Stay go
Stay go
Stay go
Stay go
Stay go
Stay go
In, out
Stay go
Stay
The lyrics to Robert Cray's "Stay Go" tell the story of a relationship where one partner is constantly on the move, never staying in one place for long. The song begins with the singer expressing his confusion and frustration at his partner's constant absence, singing "You never stay, you're on the go, three times a day, or maybe more." He doesn't understand where his partner is going or why she never seems to want to stay at home with him. The repeated refrain of "stay go" highlights this feeling of confusion and highlights the fact that the singer is constantly wondering whether his partner will stay or go.
The bridge of the song is particularly interesting, as it highlights the singer's fears and insecurities about the relationship. He sings "Oh, you're starting to worry me, can I have the car keys back?" which suggests that he's worried about his partner's safety when she's out on the road. The reference to the car keys also hints at the fact that the partner has been using the singer's car and hasn't been filling it up with gas. This could be seen as a metaphor for the one-sided nature of the relationship, where the partner is taking without giving anything back.
The final verse of the song takes a slightly darker turn, as the singer reveals that he has sold the car and hidden the phone. This suggests that he has taken drastic action to force his partner to spend time with him, and there's an element of control and manipulation here. The repeated refrain of "stay go" takes on a new meaning in this context, as it now seems to be about the singer trying to control his partner's movements and keep her close to him.
Overall, "Stay Go" is a song about a problematic relationship where one partner is constantly absent, leaving the other feeling confused and insecure. It touches on themes of control, manipulation, and fear, and the repeated refrain of "stay go" highlights the uncertainty and tension at the heart of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You never stay
You are always on the move and never settle down.
You're on the go
You keep moving from one place to another.
Three times a day
You are always on the move, going to multiple places every day.
Or maybe more
You could be going more than three times a day.
Where you run to
I don't know where you go.
I just don't know
I have no idea where you're going.
I turn around
I look away for a moment.
You've got the Ford
You have the car.
Didn't put any gas in it
You didn't fill up the gas in the car when you returned it.
When you brought it back
After you returned the car.
You're out last night
You were not at home last night.
The night before
You were also not at home the night before.
And the night before that
You were out the night before the previous night too.
Oh, you're starting to worry me
I'm getting worried about you.
Can I have the car keys back?
Can you please give me the car keys?
In, out
You keep coming and going.
In, out
You continue your pattern of coming and going.
In and out
You keep coming in and then leaving.
Just like a cat
You are as restless as a cat.
Never, ever stay at home, babe
You never spend any time at home.
If you're here it's just to change clothes
If you come home, it's just to change your clothes and then leave again.
This in and out is driving me crazy
I am getting frustrated and crazy because of your constant coming and going.
Are you gonna stay or are you gonna go?
Will you finally stay put or will you keep moving around?
I'd love to have a date with you
I want to have a romantic evening with you.
Being my wife and everything
As my partner and spouse.
Tomorrow morning
The morning after tonight.
When you get home
After you return home.
You're gonna find
You will notice something different.
There's something wrong
Something is not quite right.
I sold the car
I got rid of the car.
And hid the phone
I kept the phone hidden away from you.
So you and I
Just the two of us.
Can be home alone
We can finally spend some time together without any interruptions.
Now maybe we can take a walk together or something
Perhaps we can finally do something together.
That'd be real nice
That would be enjoyable and pleasant.
Stay go
You keep oscillating between staying and leaving.
Stay go
Your decision is always to stay or go.
Stay go
Your actions are always in line with either staying or leaving.
Stay go
Your behavior is defined by the dichotomy of staying or going.
Stay go
You keep moving back and forth.
In, out
You continue moving back and forth.
Stay go
You are always either staying or leaving.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES R. PUGH, KARL SEVAREID, ROBERT WILLIAM CRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind