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.
Christian Soldier
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not so long ago in Oklahoma
The son of an Okie preacher knelt to pray
He said Lord I wanna be a Christian soldier just like you
And fight to build a new and better day.
Now many years and miles from Oklahoma
But he don't pray to be a Christian soldier anymore
He just prays to make it through another day.
'Cause Lord it's hard to be a Christian soldier when you tote a gun
It hurts to have to watch a grown man cry
But we're playin' cards and writin' home and havin' lots of fun
Telling jokes and learning how to die.
Things I'm seeing now seem so confusin'
Lord it's gettin' hard to tell what's wrong from right
I can't separate the winners from the losers anymore
So I'm thinking bout just giving up the fight.
'Cause Lord it's hard to be a Christian soldier when you tote a gun
It hurts to have to watch a grown man cry
But we're playin' cards and writin' home and havin' lots of fun
Telling jokes and learning how to die...
The song "Christian Soldier" by Bobby Bare, with lyrics by Billy Joe Shaver, tells the story of a young man from Oklahoma who, inspired by his Christian faith, decides to join the military and fight for a better world. However, as time passes and he experiences the realities of war, he begins to question his beliefs and the fighting itself. The singer realizes that it is hard to maintain his faith while simultaneously carrying a gun and witnessing the pain and suffering of others. Although he still prays, his faith has changed, and he focuses on surviving each day rather than fighting for a higher purpose.
The song is a powerful and emotional commentary on the conflicting feelings that many soldiers experience during war. It is a reminder that war, even when fought for noble causes, can cause deep moral and spiritual struggles. The song also highlights the changes that can occur over time, as individuals are forced to confront their deepest beliefs and values.
Overall, "Christian Soldier" is a poignant and thought-provoking song that speaks to the complexities of faith, war, and the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Not so long ago in Oklahoma
In a recent past in Oklahoma.
The son of an Okie preacher knelt to pray
A son of a preacher from Oklahoma knelt in prayer.
He said Lord I wanna be a Christian soldier just like you
The boy prayed to become a Christian soldier like Jesus.
And fight to build a new and better day
He wanted to fight to build a new and improved future.
Now many years and miles from Oklahoma
Years have passed since then and he has moved away from Oklahoma.
That same young Okie boy still kneels to pray
However, that same boy still kneels to pray.
But he don't pray to be a Christian soldier anymore
He no longer prays to be a Christian soldier.
He just prays to make it through another day
Instead, he prays to survive another day.
'Cause Lord it's hard to be a Christian soldier when you tote a gun
It's difficult to maintain faith as a soldier carrying a weapon.
It hurts to have to watch a grown man cry
Seeing a grown man cry is painful.
But we're playin' cards and writin' home and havin' lots of fun
Despite the hardships, he enjoys playing cards with friends and writing to loved ones.
Telling jokes and learning how to die
He tries to find humor in life, while also coming to terms with death.
Things I'm seeing now seem so confusin'
The things he sees now are confusing.
Lord it's gettin' hard to tell what's wrong from right
It's becoming challenging to distinguish moral right from wrong.
I can't separate the winners from the losers anymore
He can no longer distinguish the winners from the losers.
So I'm thinking bout just giving up the fight
He is contemplating giving up the battle.
'Cause Lord it's hard to be a Christian soldier when you tote a gun
Once again, it's difficult to balance being a Christian soldier and a soldier at the same time.
It hurts to have to watch a grown man cry
It is painful to see grown men cry.
But we're playin' cards and writin' home and havin' lots of fun
But at the end of the day, he still manages to have fun and keep himself content.
Telling jokes and learning how to die
He still manages to find humor in life and learn how to accept death.
Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.