Robert Cray (born August 1, 1953, Columbus, Georgia) is an American blues g… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Cray (born August 1, 1953, Columbus, Georgia) is an American blues guitarist and singer. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has led his own band (the Robert Cray Band), as well as an acclaimed solo career. In 2011, Cray was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame.

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.

Tollin' Bells
Robert Cray Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Well
The big bell is tollin'
Trouble
Is heading north

Well
The big bell, it's tollin'
Trouble

Is heading north

Well, it's so my baby
And it let me
Here all alone

Well
My head
Is so heavy
When the sun starts sinkin' low

Well
My head
Ain't so heavy
When the sun starts sinkin' low

It put my soul
On a wonder
Whew, which way did my baby go?

Well
I heard a loud singing
Saw some slow marching
I heard
Deep moaning
And, oh, that was my whole life
And these tears
From my eyes
Keep on
Streamin' down

I keep crying

For my baby
And I know she can't be found

Overall Meaning

The song Tollin' Bells by Robert Cray is a melancholic and emotional piece, expressing the feelings of a man who has been deserted by his lover. The song opens with the image of a big bell tolling, which is symbolic of something ominous on the horizon. The singer suggests that trouble is on the way and that it is headed north. This line is representative of the singer's inner turmoil and emotional distress over his lover's departure. The theme of trouble is reiterated throughout the song, with the singer feeling lost and alone without his lover.

The second verse opens with the singer describing his heavy head, which is indicative of the emotional weight he is carrying. However, as the sun starts to set, his head feels lighter, giving him a glimpse of hope. He wonders which way his lover has gone and if she will ever return. The third verse describes the singer's experience of hearing loud singing and slow marching, which is symbolic of the mourning process. He hears deep moaning, which represents the depth of his grief. The singer's whole life feels like it has been shattered, and he cannot stop crying for his lost love, accepting the fact that she may never return.

Line by Line Meaning

Well
The situation is serious

The big bell is tollin'
Something bad is happening

Trouble
A difficult situation

Is heading north
Is getting worse

Well
The situation is serious

The big bell, it's tollin'
Something bad is happening

Trouble
A difficult situation

Is heading north
Is getting worse

Well, it's so my baby
I miss my loved one

And it let me
And now I'm all alone

Here all alone
Feeling lonely and abandoned