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.
Alimony
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me oh my oh goodness sake I'm paying for my mistake
Ali-money I call it ali-money you married men may think it's funny
Till one fine day you'll wake and find you're paying for your mistake
Every Friday when I get my pay I put it in an envelope and mail it away
Same old song with a little more blues in it
I'm paying for it while someone else's usin' it
Alimony alimony I thought I bought steak and it was all baloney
[ guitar ]
Alimony alimony...
Every payday paying for my mistake yes I am friends
Bobby Bare's song "Alimony" portrays the struggle of a man who is forced to pay alimony to his ex-wife, as a result of his past mistakes. The lyrics express the artist’s disdain towards having to pay for his past mistakes, claiming that he works until his fingers are “bloody and boney” to fulfill his obligations. He refers to alimony as “Ali-money,” and calls it a joke that married men will eventually understand.
The artist describes a weekly routine of putting his hard-earned paycheck in an envelope and sending it away, all the while feeling cheated out of the good life he envisioned for himself. The pain of his situation becomes more evident in the line “I thought I bought steak and it was all baloney,” as he reflects on his feelings of betrayal and the feeling of being tricked. The artist also feels a sense of frustration that his former partner gets to use his money while he struggles to make ends meet.
The song acts as a cautionary tale to married men to be aware of the possible long-term consequences of their actions. It reflects the reality of the emotional and financial burden that can arise from a divorce, and emphasizes the need to take responsibility for one's own mistakes. The song concludes with the artist admitting that he must continue to pay for his past mistakes every payday, serving as a warning to others of the negative impact of making life-changing decisions without considering their potential long-term consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Alimony alimony work till my fingers are bloody and boney
Working tirelessly to earn enough money to pay for alimony, until my fingers are sore and bony.
Me oh my oh goodness sake I'm paying for my mistake
Expressing regret and frustration for the consequences of getting married and now having to pay alimony for it.
Ali-money I call it ali-money you married men may think it's funny
Sarcastically referring to alimony as ‘ali-money’, and warning other married men that it’s not a joke, as they may end up in the same situation.
Till one fine day you'll wake and find you're paying for your mistake
A warning to married men that they may one day wake up and realize that they too are paying for their mistake of getting married.
Every Friday when I get my pay I put it in an envelope and mail it away
Every pay day, I have to put money in an envelope and send it away to pay for the alimony.
Same old song with a little more blues in it
Alimony payments are just part of a recurring pattern in my life, and the situation causes me even more sadness.
I'm paying for it while someone else's usin' it
I am paying for something that someone else is benefiting from.
Alimony alimony I thought I bought steak and it was all baloney
Referring to the idea that he once thought he was buying a good thing (i.e. love and marriage), but in reality, what he got was far from what he expected.
Me oh my oh goodness sake I'm paying for my mistake
Reiterating his frustration and regret for making the mistake of getting married and now having to pay alimony.
[guitar]
Musical interlude.
Alimony alimony...
Repeating the refrain, emphasizing the weight of the situation.
Every payday paying for my mistake yes I am friends
Once again emphasizing the fact that every pay day, he is reminded of the mistake he made by getting married and now having to pay alimony.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind