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.
Bottomless Well
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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Eatin' candy coated cashews sippin' orange lemonade
While a sweet young thing fans the flies from off his eyebrows
He's dozin' in the green catalpa shade
Lord they say that Jesse Langtree's got it made
A little bit south of the Okechobee there's a story that the swamp folks tell
About a mean old man named Jesse Langtree
That water's cold but that don't matter how deep it is no one can tell
Just drop a stone you'll never hear it splatter
It just falls down down forever in the bottomless well
Through fifteen miles of snakes and gators
With the raging fever and the trembling chills
I wandered lost through the Okechobee
And there I seen 'em sittin' there by the bottomless well
Yeah now there he sits...
(Oh let's hear it for Jesse now hey Jesse)
I asked her for a drink of water and as Jesse slept me and her we talked a spell
She said that she was his wife and daughter Lord Lord
But his heart was cold cold and dark as the bottomless well
And as he slept I bent to kiss her I heard a loud and jealous yell
Felt my head explode in darkness two big hairy arms picked me up
And dragged me to the bottomless well
I woke up in fear and trembling I was staring down into the jaws of hell
As he held me high above his shoulders
A gonna throw me down down down to the bottomless well
Now here I sit in Jesse's big white wicker rocker
Eatin' his candy coated cashews sippin' his orange lemonade
While that sweet young thing fans the flies from off my eyebrows
I'm dozin' in the green catalpa shade
Enjoying things that Jesse Langtree made oh God bless you Jesse
Now some folks say that sweet thing pushed him but I was there and I'd swear he fell
But it ain't murder cause he ain't dead cause he's still a fallin'
Goin' down down forever in the bottomless well
Goin' down down down down down bye Jesse
The song "Bottomless Well" by Bobby Bare describes a story that the swamp folks tell about Jesse Langtree, a mean old man who lives a little bit south of Okechobee. Jesse has a sweet young maid and a bottomless well, the story goes that the well is so deep that if you drop a stone, you'll never hear it splatter. The singer of the song goes through the Okechobee, wandering lost and comes to Jesse's place. There he meets Jesse's wife and daughter, who tell him that Jesse's heart is dark as the bottomless well. Later, the singer tries to kiss Jesse's wife, and Jesse wakes up, and they have a fight, and the singer is thrown down into the bottomless well. In the end, the singer sits in Jesse's big white wicker rocker, eating his candy-coated cashews, and enjoying the things that Jesse Langtree made, while Jesse is still falling down, down the bottomless well.
The song is a perfect example of storytelling and is typical of country music. The songwriter uses a lot of imagery to create a vivid picture of the bottomless well and Jesse's place. The song's message is also very clear, which is that bad deeds will eventually catch up with someone, and justice will be served.
Line by Line Meaning
They say there he sits in his big white wicker rocker
There are stories of Jesse Langtree sitting comfortably in his rocking chair
Eatin' candy coated cashews sippin' orange lemonade
He's snacking on candy-coated cashews and sipping orange lemonade
While a sweet young thing fans the flies from off his eyebrows
A young woman is kindly removing flies from his face using a fan
He's dozin' in the green catalpa shade
He's taking a nap in the cool, green shade of the catalpa tree
Lord they say that Jesse Langtree's got it made
People believe that Jesse Langtree has a good life
A little bit south of the Okechobee there's a story that the swamp folks tell
The swamp folks tell a story about an area in southern Okechobee
About a mean old man named Jesse Langtree
The story is about a cruel old man named Jesse Langtree
And a sweet young maid and a bottomless well
The story involves a kind young woman and an endless well
That water's cold but that don't matter how deep it is no one can tell
The temperature of the water is irrelevant, and the depth is unknown
Just drop a stone you'll never hear it splatter
If someone drops a stone, it will continue to fall without hitting the bottom
It just falls down down forever in the bottomless well
Anything dropped into the well will fall infinitely
Through fifteen miles of snakes and gators
The journey leading to the well is treacherous, involving a dangerous swamp environment
With the raging fever and the trembling chills
The singer is ill, likely due to the environment and journey
I wandered lost through the Okechobee
The singer was lost in Okechobee
And there I seen 'em sittin' there by the bottomless well
Near the bottomless well, the singer saw Jesse and the young woman
I asked her for a drink of water and as Jesse slept me and her we talked a spell
The artist asked the woman for water, and while Jesse slept, they talked for a while
She said that she was his wife and daughter Lord Lord
The young woman identified herself as Jesse's wife and daughter
But his heart was cold cold and dark as the bottomless well
Despite the woman's relation to Jesse, he was very unkind and cold-hearted
And as he slept I bent to kiss her I heard a loud and jealous yell
The singer tried to kiss the woman, which made Jesse angry and jealous despite him being asleep
Felt my head explode in darkness two big hairy arms picked me up
Suddenly, the artist was attacked and lifted up by strong, hairy arms in the dark
And dragged me to the bottomless well
The attacker took the artist to the bottomless well
I woke up in fear and trembling I was staring down into the jaws of hell
The artist woke up, scared and shaking, staring down into the pit of the well
As he held me high above his shoulders
The attacker held the singer above his shoulders
A gonna throw me down down down to the bottomless well
He was planning to drop the artist into the bottomless well
Now here I sit in Jesse's big white wicker rocker
The singer is now sitting in Jesse's chair
Eatin' his candy coated cashews sippin' his orange lemonade
The singer is enjoying the same snacks and drinks Jesse was having earlier
While that sweet young thing fans the flies from off my eyebrows
Now, the young woman is fanning flies away from the singer's face
I'm dozin' in the green catalpa shade
The artist is dozing off in the shade of the catalpa tree, just as Jesse was before
Enjoying things that Jesse Langtree made oh God bless you Jesse
The artist is thankful for the things Jesse has and made available to him
Now some folks say that sweet thing pushed him but I was there and I'd swear he fell
Apparently, some people think the woman pushed Jesse into the well, but the singer is certain Jesse fell on his own
But it ain't murder cause he ain't dead cause he's still a fallin'
Despite falling for some time, Jesse is still alive and the incident cannot be considered murder
Goin' down down forever in the bottomless well
Jesse is still falling further and further down the endless well
Goin' down down down down down bye Jesse
The artist says goodbye to Jesse as he continues to fall
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: SHEL SILVERSTEIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind