Robert Cray and "Twenty"

by Tom Watson

The title song from singer and guitarist Robert Cray's fourteenth album release, Twenty, with a street release date of May 24, 2005, is already creating a media stir due to its anti-war theme.

The lyrics...

"Twenty"

words and music by Robert Cray
© 2005 Robert Cray Music, Inc (BMI)

When you're used up, where do you go
Soldier
Mother dry your eyes, there's no need to cry
I'm not a boy, it's what I signed up for

When you're used up, where do you go
Soldier
I can't take the heat, and I hardly sleep anymore
What'd we come here for

Standing out here in the desert
Trying to protect an oil line
I'd really like to do my job but
This ain't the country that I had in mind
They call this a war on terror
I see a lot of civilians dying
Mothers, sons, fathers and daughters
Not to mention some friends of mine
Some friends of mine

Was supposed to leave last week
Promises they don't keep anymore
Got to fight the rich man's war

When you're used up, where do you go
Soldier
Late in 2004
Comes a knock at the door
It's no surprise
Mother dry your eyes

"The song is about an innocent young guy, who, after the events of 9/11, wants to do his part for his country," Cray explains. "He doesn't know he's going to end up in Iraq, watching the horror that's going on there...and he ends up losing his life. It's a subject that needs to be spoken about and is in some ways, a continuation of one of the songs we did on the last album."

Cray's last album, the 2003, Time Will Tell, in fact, contained two songs, "Survivor" and "Distant Shore", inspired by the potential conflict in Iraq that was impending at the time the songs were written (the first by Cray, the second by bandmate and co-producer Jim Pugh).

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray grew up on military bases and has experienced having a family member in a foreign conflict, his father having served in Vietnam.

On May 24, 2005, www.TrueMajority.org, a non-partisan, non-profit grassroots education and advocacy project funded by Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream fame, will offer an online stream of the song to its 575,000 website members.

Two days later, May 26, 2005, the Robert Cray Band starts an extensive worldwide tour with a San Francisco benefit for Music in Schools Today. A complete tour itinerary is available at http://www.rosebudus.com/tourdates/cray.html.