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.
That's How I Got to Memphis
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll follow wherever they go
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
If you love somebody enough
You'll go where your heart wants to go
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
I know if you'd seen her you'd tell me cause you are my friend
I've got to find her and find out the trouble she's in
And if you tell me she's not here
You can follow the trail of my tears
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
She'd get mad and she used to say
She'd come back to Memphis someday
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
I haven't eaten a bite
Or slept for three days and nights
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so
I'll never rest til I find out why she had to go
So thank you for your precious time
Forgive me if I start to cry
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I got to Memphis
Bobby Bare's song "That's How I Got to Memphis" is a song about the lengths one will go for love. The singer sings about how he is in search of his lover and how he has followed her wherever she has gone. The song is a poignant tale of how love can drive an individual to the point of desperation.
The opening lines, "If you love somebody enough, you'll follow wherever they go," set the tone of the song. Love is depicted as a powerful force that completely takes over the individual. The singer's love for his lover has grown to the point where he is willing to travel to Memphis in search of her. He is driven by his love for her and his need to find her.
The line, "That's how I got to Memphis," serves as a refrain throughout the song, emphasizing the idea that love is the driving force behind the singer's actions. He is not in Memphis for any other reason than to find his lover. The song also touches on the theme of heartbreak and the singer's need for closure. He wants to find his lover and tell her that he loves her, but he also needs to know why she had to go.
Overall, "That's How I Got to Memphis" is a powerful and emotional love ballad that speaks to the lengths we will go for the ones we love.
Line by Line Meaning
If you love somebody enough
When you truly love someone, you'll do anything to be with them.
You'll follow wherever they go
You'll not hesitate to follow them wherever they go.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's why I traveled to Memphis - to be with the person I love.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's absolutely why I am in Memphis without a second thought.
I know if you'd seen her you'd tell me cause you are my friend
I trust you would have informed me if you saw her since you are my friend.
I've got to find her and find out the trouble she's in
I need to locate her and understand the problems she is going through.
And if you tell me she's not here
If she is nowhere in Memphis,
You can follow the trail of my tears
you can track me through the evidence of my eyes getting teary due to my sadness and distress.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how I ended up in Memphis - following the leads that might take me to her.
That's how I got to Memphis
This is how I landed in Memphis and how I'll continue to search for her.
She'd get mad and she used to say
She would frequently become angry and claim that
She'd come back to Memphis someday
she'd return to Memphis one day.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's one of the hints that led me here - I never forgot that she wished to return here.
That's how I got to Memphis
That is an additional bit of information that contributed to why Memphis was my next destination.
I haven't eaten a bite
I have been unable to consume any food,
Or slept for three days and nights
or slept for three consecutive days and nights.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's how devoted I am to finding her - I can't rest or eat until I know she's safe.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's a part of the reason why I found myself in Memphis, starved and sleepless.
I've got to find her and tell her that I love her so
I must find her and declare my immense love and affection towards her.
I'll never rest til I find out why she had to go
I won't rest until I know the reason she left, and I'm certain she's safe and happy once I find her.
So thank you for your precious time
Thank you for your valuable time and assistance
Forgive me if I start to cry
Please excuse me if I become emotional and start weeping.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's what brought me to Memphis in the first place - my love for her.
That's how I got to Memphis
That's what motivated me to stay in Memphis and complete my quest for her.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tom T. Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind