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.
Two Steps From The End
Robert Cray Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has never been easy
Has never been easy for me
The price I've paid
Has been so very dear
Some of my friends are . . .
No longer here
Now I'm two steps from the end
Last door down the hall
That's where you'll find me
It's gonna be a slow fade from here on out
Just like night into day
I can see all
That's happened
And there's nothing much left
To say
Now I'm two steps from the end
Last door down the hall
That's where you'll find me
Hey!
You can bang your drum
Bang your drum lowly
Go ahead and play your horn
Slowly
I know, you think that it's all over
But tonight I'll be back
Cause I know that's where it's at
Now I'm two steps from the end
Last door down the hall
That's where you'll find me
That's where you'll find me
The lyrics in Robert Cray's song "Two Steps From The End" depict a man who's been living a hard life, with the night life never being easy for him. He's paid a high price for his lifestyle and some of his friends are no longer with him. The repetition of the line "two steps from the end" throughout the song suggests that he's approaching the end of his life, and that he knows it.
The man's acknowledgment of his situation is resigned and introspective. He acknowledges that his life is going to fade away slowly, much like night into day. He's seen a lot in his life and doesn't have much left to say about it. The repeated line "that's where you'll find me" suggests a feeling of being trapped or stuck in this place, without the ability or the motivation to change course.
The final lines of the song suggest a defiance in the face of his own mortality. He invites others to play their instruments, but he intends to be back – implying that he's not done with life yet, despite how he feels. There's a sense that he's resigned to his fate, but he's not going down without a fight.
Overall, the song speaks to the difficult, painful, and inevitable end that we'll all face. It also speaks to the idea that, even in the face of that end, we can still choose how we live our lives and how we face our mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
The night life
Living a life of adventure and excitement
Has never been easy
It's been tough and challenging
Has never been easy for me
It's been difficult for me in particular
The price I've paid
The cost of living this life
Has been so very dear
Has been very high
Some of my friends are . . .
Some of my friends have left me
No longer here
They have passed away or abandoned me
Now I'm two steps from the end
I'm nearing the end of my journey
Last door down the hall
Final destination
That's where you'll find me
That's where I can be found
It's gonna be a slow fade from here on out
Things are going to happen slowly from now on
Just like night into day
Just like the transition from dark to light
I can see all
I can see everything clearly
That's happened
Everything that has taken place
And there's nothing much left
There's not much left to do
To say
To express or communicate
Hey!
Attention grabber
You can bang your drum
You can make noise
Bang your drum lowly
Make subdued sounds
Go ahead and play your horn
Make loud and brassy sounds
Slowly
At a leisurely pace
I know, you think that it's all over
You might think that it's time to move on
But tonight I'll be back
I will return tonight
Cause I know that's where it's at
Because I know that's where everything is happening
Contributed by Landon O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.