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
The Dream
The Robert Cray Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Once again I had the dream
I tossed and I turned
That old feeling's still the same
It was so real
I woke up cold and sweating
I wonder did I call her name?
Right there with me in the bed
She said, "Bobby, come and kiss me
Never leave me", is what she said
But when I reached out to hold her
Oh, I woke my wife instead
Once again
Once again I had the dream
Six years since I've seen her
Ain't no doubt about what it means, no, no
I tried hard not to think about her
But all she left me was this dream
All she left me was the dream
All she left me was a dream
A dream
All she left me was a dream
I dreamed I called her name
I dreamed I held my baby in my arms
Oh, what a dream
"The Dream" by The Robert Cray Band is a soulful blues song that tells a story of a man who is haunted by the memory of a past lover. Through the lyrics, the singer describes having a recurring dream where he is reunited with his lost love. In the dream, she appears in his bed and begs him to never leave her. However, when he tries to hold her, he wakes up to find that he's actually reaching out to his wife. The song reflects the complexities of love, loss and the lasting impact that past relationships can have on a person.
The lyrics suggest a sense of longing and heartbreak that has endured since the end of the relationship six years prior. It seems that the singer has moved on with his life but cannot fully shake the memory and emotional residue of his lost love. The dream represents a sort of wish fulfillment, a place where he can briefly escape reality and be reunited with his past love. The song ends with a sense of melancholy, as he reflects that "all she left me was a dream" - a reminder that the pain and longing for this past love is still a part of his life.
Overall, "The Dream" is a powerful and emotive song that captures the complexity of heartbreak and the lasting impact that past relationships can have. It is a reminder that, while we may move on with our lives and find new love, the past can still have a hold on us.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night
The song starts with the singer talking about a dream he had the previous night.
Once again I had the dream
The singer has had this dream before.
I tossed and I turned
The singer was restless in his sleep.
That old feeling's still the same
The emotions he felt in the dream were just as strong as they've always been.
It was so real
The dream felt realistic to the point where the singer questioned if it was real.
I woke up cold and sweating
The dream was intense enough to wake the singer up and cause a physical reaction.
I wonder did I call her name?
The singer was unsure if he actually said something out loud in his sleep.
In the dream she was right there with me
The singer dreamt that she was physically there with him.
Right there with me in the bed
She was in the same bed as him in the dream.
She said, 'Bobby, come and kiss me
She called him over to come and kiss her.
Never leave me', is what she said
She made a request that he never leave her.
But when I reached out to hold her
The singer attempted to hold her in the dream.
Oh, I woke my wife instead
The singer's wife was next to him in bed and he woke her up instead of being able to hold the woman in his dream.
Six years since I've seen her
It has been six years since he has seen the woman from his dream in real life.
Ain't no doubt about what it means, no, no
The singer has no doubt in his mind about what the dream means and what his feelings are about it.
I tried hard not to think about her
The singer consciously avoided thinking about her when he was awake.
But all she left me was this dream
Despite his efforts to move on and forget about her, she was still haunting him through his dreams.
All she left me was the dream
The only thing he has left of her is this reoccurring dream.
All she left me was a dream
Repetition of the chorus to emphasize the idea that the dream was all he had left of her.
I dreamed I called her name
The singer dreamt that he called her name out loud.
I dreamed I held my baby in my arms
In the dream, the woman's child was also with them and the singer held the child in his arms.
Oh, what a dream
The song ends with the singer reflecting on the intensity of the dream and how it made him feel.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: BRUCE M BROMBERG, ROBERT WILLIAM CRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind