With ba… Read Full Bio ↴Robert Cray is an American blues guitarist, composer and singer.
With bassist Richard Cousins, keyboardist Peter Boe and drummer Tom Murphy, they launched The Robert Cray Band in 1980 with "Who's Been Talkin". The album was recorded during constant touring in the U.S. in 1978. The record was initially shelved for two years, being eventually issued by the short-lived Tomato label (whose licence was picked up by "Atlantic Records" (U.S.) and "Charly" in the UK.
After several years of regional success, Cray was signed to Mercury in 1982. It was the connection with the producing and songwriting team of Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker at Hightone that helped to create the mold-breaking music of "Bad Influence" (1983) and "False Accusations" (1985).
In 1984, The Robert Cray Band completed their first European tour to critical acclaim. Cray's participation with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland on "Showdown!" (1985, Alligator) and the 1986 album release, "Strong Persuader", again produced by Walker, both received Grammy Awards, while the crossover single "Smoking Gun" gave him wider appeal and name recognition. During 1986 Cray played 170 concerts, including his seventh European tour since 1984, building on his increasing reputation in the UK.
The Robert Cray Band's next album "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" (1988) was recorded in Los Angeles, California, and featured David Sanborn on guest saxophone. The title song from the album won Cray his third Grammy, and he guested on Eric Clapton's "Journeyman", whilst also being on the bill at Clapton's eighteen show marathon at the Royal Albert Hall in London. In 1991 Cray was selected to present Howlin' Wolf's induction trophy to Wolf's widow, Lilly Burnett, at the sixth annual "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" Awards. Later that year Cray took part in the "Newport Jazz Festival" with B. B. King and John Lee Hooker.
Cray issued his following records under his own name, Robert Cray
Porch Light
The Robert Cray Band 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 Robert Cray Band's "Porch Light" tells the story of a man who is having an affair with a woman who is in a relationship with another man. The song opens with him arriving at her house in the middle of the night, knowing that her man is gone and that he can slip inside undetected. The woman is waiting for him, and they embrace in the darkness.
As the song progresses, the man grapples with his guilt and the knowledge that what they're doing is wrong. Even as he's enjoying these secret moments with the woman he loves, he can't help but feel like a criminal. He knows that they're both betraying her partner, and he promises himself that each time they're together will be the last.
Despite their best intentions, the two can't stay away from each other. As the song ends, the man is once again longing for the woman he loves, promising to return to her side when the sun goes down and the guilt temporarily fades away.
Overall, "Porch Light" is a poignant and honest portrayal of a love affair that's both thrilling and deeply flawed. It's a reminder that even the most intense love can be overshadowed by guilt and the knowledge that what we're doing is wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight
It's midnight
And her porchlight's on
Her porch light is on which means her man is gone
The signal
Her porch light is the signal that her man is gone
That her man is gone
The porch light means her man is not home
She'll open her back door wide
She will open her back door wide to let me in
I'll slip down the alley, then slip inside
I will sneak down the alley and slip inside her house
She's waiting
She's waiting for me inside the house
Just inside the door
She's just inside the door, waiting for me
In perfume
She's wearing perfume
Probably nothing more
She's wearing perfume and nothing else
She'll greet me with her arms spread wide
She'll greet me with open arms
Hit by the darkness, we'll fly, fly, fly
We'll embrace in the dark and fly away with our passion
Standing here
I'm standing here right now
I feel just like a criminal
I feel guilty like a criminal
Returning to the seen of the crime
Coming back to where we've done wrong, feels like a crime
Every time that we steal these loving hours
Whenever we spend time together like this, it feels like we're stealing it
We promise that it will be the last time
We keep promising ourselves that we won't do it again
Sneak out
We need to sneak out of the house
Just before the dawn
We need to leave right before sunrise
Knowing that we've done her man wrong
We're aware that we're doing something wrong by being together
He's out working while we're at play
Her man is working while we're together
And my conscious hounds me the whole long day
I feel guilty about it all day long
My blood starts to stir
As the sun sets, I start getting excited
All my thoughts go back to her
I can't stop thinking about her
At midnight my guilt will ease
After a night with her, my guilt will ease up
And I'll be watching her porch-light begging please, please, please
I'll be watching her porch light, begging her to turn it on again so we can be together
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: PATRICIA WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind