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.
Alabama Rose
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In her eyes I saw the sadness she had seen in life
I found out she had spent some wasted years in Chicago
She had known a hundred men or more, but never as a wife
She was going home to start her life again in Alabama
Where she had been and why God only knows
But I loved that girl and begged her just to stay with me in Nashville
The days turned into weeks and I was sure she learned to love me
But sometimes late at night I'd wake and listen to her cry
The sun came up one morning and my rose was not beside me
I got that feeling like you want to die
Now I wonder if she ever made it back to Alabama
Where she is and why God only knows
But she must know no matter where she goes, my dreams go with her
'Cause I still love my Alabama Rose
God knows I love my Alabama Rose
The song Alabama Rose, by Bobby Bare, is a heartfelt country ballad that tells the story of a young woman from Alabama who has lived a life of sadness and heartbreak. The singer meets the woman in a Nashville bar and falls in love with her, despite her troubled past. The woman, who has known many men but never as a wife, is going back to Alabama to start over. The singer begs her to stay with him in Nashville, but she ultimately leaves. The singer wonders about her fate but knows that his love for her will never die.
The lyrics of Alabama Rose are poignant and bittersweet. The song touches on themes of love, loss, and regret. The singer's love for the Alabama Rose is deep and true, but it cannot save her from her past or her future. The song speaks to the human condition and the complexities of love and relationships. The singer's emotions come through strongly in the lyrics, as he grapples with the pain of loving someone who cannot stay.
In conclusion, Alabama Rose is a beautiful and moving song that captures the essence of love and heartbreak. The lyrics are powerful, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. The song is a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of great hardship and sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
One night I went into town and met a girl from Alabama
The singer met a girl from Alabama one night when he was out in town.
In her eyes I saw the sadness she had seen in life
When the singer looked into the girl's eyes, he saw that she had experienced sadness in life before they met.
I found out she had spent some wasted years in Chicago
The singer learned that the girl had spent some years in Chicago, which she considered as wasted.
She had known a hundred men or more, but never as a wife
The girl had met a lot of men in her life, but she had never been married to any of them.
She was going home to start her life again in Alabama
The girl was planning to return to her hometown of Alabama to start her life anew.
Where she had been and why God only knows
The singer was unsure about the reasons why the girl had ended up in Chicago and why she was going back to Alabama.
But I loved that girl and begged her just to stay with me in Nashville
The singer loved the girl and asked her to stay with him in Nashville instead of leaving for Alabama.
And I called that girl my Alabama Rose
The artist referred to the girl as his Alabama Rose.
The days turned into weeks and I was sure she learned to love me
As time passed, the artist believed that the girl had started to love him as well.
But sometimes late at night I'd wake and listen to her cry
At times, the artist would wake up at night to hear the girl crying.
The sun came up one morning and my rose was not beside me
One morning, the singer woke up and realized that the girl was no longer beside him.
I got that feeling like you want to die
The artist experienced a feeling of hopelessness and despair after realizing that the girl had left.
Now I wonder if she ever made it back to Alabama
The singer was unsure whether the girl had made it back to her hometown of Alabama.
Where she is and why God only knows
The singer did not know where the girl was and why she had left.
But she must know no matter where she goes, my dreams go with her
The singer still cared about the girl and his dreams were attached to her wherever she went.
'Cause I still love my Alabama Rose
The artist still loved the girl and referred to her as his Alabama Rose.
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.