In the fifties after many failed attempts to sell his songs, he finally was signed up with Capitol Records and recorded a few rock and roll songs without much chart success. Just before he was drafted into the Army, he wrote a song called 'The All American Boy' and did a demo for his friend, Bill Parsons, to learn and record it. Instead of using the version Bill Parsons did later, the record company, Fraternity Records, decided to use the original demo done by Bobby Bare. The record reached number 2 on the Billboard Top 100, but it was wrongly credited to Bill Parsons.
His real big break came when RCA boss and guitarist Chet Atkins signed him to the RCA label. The first song he released on this label, 'Shame On Me', sold nearly a million copies and pushed Bobby Bare to fame overnight. His second RCA release, 'Detroit City' won him a Grammy for the best song of the year. Then a surge of hits followed, including '500 Miles Away From Home', 'Four Strong Winds' and others. He has also recorded two very successful albums with Skeeter Davis and has also dueted with Lacy J. Dalton and Rosanne Cash and additionally had a major hit as part of a trio with Norma Jean (singer) and Liz Anderson in 1967 titled 'The Game of Triangles'.
He moved to Mercury label in 1970 and had two big hits from early Kris Kristofferson compositions, 'Come Sundown' and 'Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends' before returning to RCA label where he produced his own records. Later Bare moved to CBS label and in 1979, he helped establish Rosanne Cash's career by singing with her on "No Memories Hangin' Round". Bare's singles for Columbia Records included 'The Jogger', 'Tequila Sheila', 'Gotta Get Rid Of This Band', 'When Hippies Get Older' and 'Numbers'. He later recorded for EMI with little success.
Bobby Bare is a versatile singer, and in the 70s started to release novelty songs recorded live with selected audiences. One of such songs, 'Marie Laveau' about a witch, reached the number one position on the country chart. This song was written by his friend, a very talented song writer, poet, author and cartoonist Shel Silverstein. He also penned many other songs for Bobby Bare including a Grammy nominated hit called 'Daddy What If' which he recorded with his five year old son, Bobby Bare Jr, who later became a star on his own. Bobby Bare later recorded a very successful album with his family and penned mainly by Shel called 'Singing in The Kitchen'. It was nominated for best group category in Grammy Awards but was declined by Bobby himself.
He later took chances recording strange, controversial material as 'Dropkick Me Jesus (Through The Goalposts Of Life)' (a 1976 Grammy nominee) and the expletive-driven 'Redneck Hippie Romance' with much success.
Bobby Bare is also the first to come up with a concept album called 'Bird Named Yesterday' which was very successful. His most successful concept album is 'Lullaby Legends and Lies'.
Bobby Bare was also given an opportunity to star in the movies. He did a Western with Troy Donahue called A Distant Trumpet, and a few episodes of a TV series called No Time for Sergeants. He turned his back on Hollywood to pursue his career in Country Music.
In 1998 he formed the band Old Dogs together with his friends Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis and Waylon Jennings.
In addition to the above, Bobby Bare is credited for introducing Waylon Jennings to RCA. He is also one of the first to record from many well known song writers such as Jack Clement, Harlan Howard, Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newberry, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, and many others. He later had a TV series called 'Bobby Bare & Friends, A Song Writer Showcase'. Recently, he has recorded a new album after over 20 years called 'The Moon Was Blue' produced by his son. His son, Bobby Bare, Jr., is also a musician.
Detroit City
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dreamed about them cotton fields of home
I dreamed about my mother, dear old pappy, sister and brother
And I dreamed about the girl who's been waitin' for so long
I want to go home
I want to go home
Oh, how I want to go home
Home folks think I'm big in Detroit City
From the letters that I write they think I'm just fine, yes they do
But by day I make the cars and by night I make the bars
If only they could read between the lines
‘cause you know I rode a freight train north to Detroit City
And after all these years I find I've just been wastin' my time
You know what I'm gonna do?
I'm gonna take my foolish pride
Get it on a southbound freight and let it ride
I'm gonna go back to the loved ones
The ones I left waiting so far behind
I want to go home, yeah
I want to go home
Oh, how I want to go home (Can't you hear me?)
I want to go home
Whoa, baby I want to go home
Oh, how I want to go home (Somebody help me)
I want to go home, yeah
I want to go home, whoa oh
Oh, how I want to go home
Hmm, I want to go home...
In Bobby Bare's song Detroit City, the singer is a factory worker who moved to Detroit from the south. He dreams about his hometown, including his family and a girl he left behind. Despite what he writes in his letters, his job is not as glamorous as his family thinks; he works long hours making cars during the day and spends his nights at bars. He reflects on his journey to Detroit, saying he rode a freight train and "wasted" years of his life. In the end, he decides to return home to his loved ones, leaving his pride behind and taking a southbound freight train.
The song reflects the struggles of working-class people who migrate from rural areas to urban industrial centers in the pursuit of a better life. It also examines the tension between wanting to follow one's dreams and ambition and the longing for home and connection to loved ones. The refrain "I want to go home" underscores this tension throughout the song.
Bobby Bare recorded Detroit City in 1963, and it became a hit, reaching number six on the US country charts and earning Bare a Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording. In addition to Bare's original recording, the song has been covered by numerous artists, including Tom Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I went to sleep in Detroit City
I was physically in Detroit, but my mind was far away
I dreamed about them cotton fields of home
I missed my hometown and the memories associated with it
I dreamed about my mother, dear old pappy, sister and brother
I missed my family and the loved ones who were far away from me
And I dreamed about the girl who's been waitin' for so long
I longed to be reunited with my beloved who has been waiting for me
Home folks think I'm big in Detroit City
My family and friends back home think I'm doing well in Detroit
From the letters that I write they think I'm just fine, yes they do
I painted a positive picture of my life in Detroit in my letters to them
But by day I make the cars and by night I make the bars
I work in a factory during the day and spend my nights in bars
If only they could read between the lines
If only my family could see the reality of my life in Detroit
‘cause you know I rode a freight train north to Detroit City
I took a risky journey to come to Detroit in search of a better life
And after all these years I find I've just been wastin' my time
Despite my efforts, I realize that I haven't found the success I was seeking in Detroit
You know what I'm gonna do?
I have come to a decision
I'm gonna take my foolish pride
I will let go of my ego and make a change in my life
Get it on a southbound freight and let it ride
I will leave Detroit and head south towards my hometown
I'm gonna go back to the loved ones
I will return to the people who truly matter to me
The ones I left waiting so far behind
I left them behind for my pursuit of success in Detroit, but now realize my mistake
I want to go home, yeah
My desire to return home is strong
I want to go home, whoa oh
I am desperate to be back with my loved ones
Oh, how I want to go home
My longing for my hometown and family is intense
Hmm, I want to go home...
I am fixated on the idea of going back home
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DANNY DILL, MEL TILLIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind