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
Tollin' Bells
The Robert Cray Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The big bell is tollin'
Trouble
Is heading north
Well
The big bell, it's tollin'
Trouble
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
The song "Tollin' Bells" by The Robert Cray Band portrays a sense of despair and uncertainty in relationships. The big bell tolling symbolizes the arrival of trouble, and in the song, it's heading north. The lyrics "it left me here all alone" indicate possible separation between two people. The heavy head syndrome described in the second verse portrays a feeling of confusion and desperation. The line "it put my soul on a wonder" indicates the singer may be lost and looking for answers in their relationship.
The third verse describes the singer hearing loud singing and moaning but not finding their significant other. The tears streaming down the singer's face illustrate the intensity of the emotions felt in the relationship. The song's overall message is distrust and insecurity in relationships, and the tolling bells reflect the impending doom.
Line by Line Meaning
Well
The singer starts with a vocalization suggesting that he has a thought that he needs to express.
The big bell is tollin'
The bell is a metaphor for a sense of foreboding or warning, signaling that something bad is coming.
Trouble
The sense of foreboding is associated with trouble - an unhappy or difficult situation.
Is heading north
The trouble is coming from the south and is moving towards the north - this is a metaphorical way of indicating that it is approaching.
Well
The singer repeats the vocalization to emphasize his feelings.
The big bell, it's tollin'
The sense of foreboding continues.
Trouble
The trouble is still present and getting closer.
Is heading north
The trouble is still moving towards the north.
Well, it's so my baby
The singer's baby, a metaphor for a source of happiness or contentment, has left him.
And it let me
The baby's departure has caused the singer to be alone and unsupported.
Here all alone
The singer is emphasizing his loneliness and despair.
Well
The singer repeats the vocalization to show that he is still holding onto his emotions.
My head
The singer is examining how he feels and where he carries his emotions.
Is so heavy
The singer feels weighed down by his emotions and worries.
When the sun starts sinkin' low
The singer feels particularly emotional and vulnerable at nightfall.
Well
The singer repeats the vocalization to emphasize how he feels like things are happening to him.
My head
The singer continues to examine his emotional state.
Ain't so heavy
The singer feels somewhat better or relieved compared to earlier.
When the sun starts sinkin' low
The singer is still particularly emotional at nightfall.
It put my soul
The singer's feeling of missing and longing for his baby is profound and deep.
On a wonder
The singer's thoughts have become disoriented and scattered, preoccupied with where his baby has gone.
Whew, which way did my baby go?
The biggest thought on the singer's mind is where his baby has gone and if he can find her.
Well
The singer repeats the vocalization to acknowledge what he hears and sees.
I heard a loud singing
The singer hears some unusual noise that catches his attention.
Saw some slow marching
The singer sees some people doing something in a purposeful but slow manner.
I heard
The singer continues to describe what he heard.
Deep moaning
The sound he hears now is emotional and intense.
And, oh, that was my whole life
The singer identifies with the emotion he hears and it feels as if his own life is being reflected in the sound.
And these tears
The singer's eyes have welled up with tears from the emotion he's feeling and the sound he's heard.
From my eyes
The tears are a physical manifestation of the emotion he is experiencing.
Keep on
The flow of tears continues.
Streamin' down
The tears are falling freely and without stopping.
I keep crying
The singer is still crying from the emotions he's feeling.
For my baby
The singer is still deeply feeling the loss of his baby.
And I know she can't be found
The singer has come to the realization that his baby is gone and can't be found, adding to his sense of despair.
Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.