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.
A Fallen Star
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right into my arms
A brighter star I know I've never seen
Then I found out that it was
Only you with all your charms
Who came into my life to fill a dream.
A fallen star, that's what you are
You must have strayed from the Milky Way
A fallen star, that's what you are.
A fallen star, that's what you are
That twinkle in your eye came from the sky
You must have strayed from the Milky Way
A fallen star, that's what you are...
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's song "A Fallen Star" tell a story of a person falling in love with someone who they perceived to be a star fallen from the sky, a being so radiant they must have come from somewhere else. The singer describes this person as having a "twinkle in [their] eye," a sparkle that could only come from the heavens. However, as the singer gets to know this person, they realize that their "fallen star" is just a human like any other, albeit one with "charms."
The metaphor of a fallen star is a powerful one, symbolizing the idea of a celestial being coming down to earth, to be claimed by a human. This theme is common in literature and art, representing idealized love and romance. The song captures the bittersweet feeling of falling for someone who you initially believed to be perfect, only to find out they are flawed like everyone else. However, the singer still sees the magic and beauty of their love, even after the veil of perfection has lifted. The repetition of the lines "A fallen star, that's what you are / That twinkle in your eye came from the sky" emphasizes the singer's continuing belief in the beauty of their partner, even without the initial illusion.
Overall, Bobby Bare's "A Fallen Star" expresses the wonder and magic of love, even when the object of that love turns out to be human rather than celestial. Its bittersweet lyrics resonate with anyone who has fallen for someone who they put on a pedestal, only to realize that they are just as human as themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
A star fell from Heaven
A star fell from the sky and landed in my arms.
Right into my arms
The star fell directly into my arms.
A brighter star I know I've never seen
I have never seen a star as bright as this one.
Then I found out that it was
Later I discovered that the star was not really a star.
Only you with all your charms
It was actually you, with all of your attractive qualities.
Who came into my life to fill a dream.
You came into my life and fulfilled a dream I had.
A fallen star, that's what you are
Although you are not actually a star, you are like one that has fallen.
That twinkle in your eye came from the sky
The sparkle in your eye is like that of a star in the sky.
You must have strayed from the Milky Way
I imagine you may have wandered from the galaxy to be with me.
A fallen star, that's what you are.
Once again, I reiterate that you are like a fallen star.
Writer(s): James Joiner
Contributed by Tristan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.