Bobby Bare (born Robert Joseph Bare on April 7, 1935 in Ironton, Ohio) is a… Read Full Bio ↴Bobby Bare (born Robert Joseph Bare on April 7, 1935 in Ironton, Ohio) is an American country music singer and songwriter.

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.

Come Sundown
Bobby Bare Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I heard the front door closing softly
As I awakened from my sleep
With the last touch of her kips, Lord
Like a whisper on my cheek

And I cursed the sun for risin'
'Cause the worst, Lord, was yet to come
'Cause this morning, she's just leavin'

But, come sundown, she'll be gone

See the lipstick on the pillow
That I placed beneath her head
And the soft sheets still feel warm, Lord
Where she lay upon my bed

And it hurts to know it's over
For the hurt, Lord, has just begun

'Cause this morning, she's just leavin'
But, come sundown, she'll be gone

Overall Meaning

In the song "Come Sundown," Bobby Bare sings about the hurt and pain of a lover leaving him in the early morning. The lyrics describe the moment he wakes up to find his lover leaving, and the hurt he feels knowing that she will be gone by sundown. He curses the sun for rising because he knows that the worst is yet to come. He sees the lipstick on the pillow and feels the soft sheets that she had just laid on, making the pain all the more real. The hurt has just begun for him, and he knows his lover will soon be gone.

The lyrics are full of imagery that paints a vivid picture of the situation. The reference to the "last touch of her lips, Lord, like a whisper on my cheek" is a beautiful comparison, conveying the sense of intimacy and loss. Similarly, the description of the lipstick on the pillow and the warm spot on the bed conveys the sense of closeness and connection that has just been broken. The song captures the bittersweet feelings of heartbreak and longing, and the pain that comes from knowing you have to say goodbye to someone you love.

Line by Line Meaning

I heard the front door closing softly
I woke up from sleep when I heard the sound of her leaving, the closing of the front door was so silent that it happened to wake me up.

With the last touch of her lips, Lord
The remembrance of her farewell kiss was a reminder of her departure.

Like a whisper on my cheek
The feeling of her kiss was so gentle that it seemed like a whisper on my cheek.

And I cursed the sun for risin'
The thought of her leaving me ultimately made me frustrated that the sun had to rise on this particular day.

'Cause the worst, Lord, was yet to come
The realization that the worst is yet to come, since even though she is leaving now, the pain would only augment as time goes on.

'Cause this morning, she's just leavin'
She's leaving me in the morning, which is the beginning of her absence.

But, come sundown, she'll be gone
By the evening, she'll be gone, only increasing my distress.

See the lipstick on the pillow
The lipstick mark on the pillow represents her presence, and seeing it only increases the sorrow and agony of her departure.

That I placed beneath her head
The fact that I arranged the pillow beneath her head makes her leaving more saddening than ever.

And the soft sheets still feel warm, Lord
The sheets on the bed still feel warm from the heat of her body, making it tougher to bear that she left.

Where she lay upon my bed
The fact that she is gone, but her presence is still palpable and vivid, only increases the sadness and loneliness in me.

And it hurts to know it's over
It's hurting me to realize that it's over and that I will have to face this pain on my own.

For the hurt, Lord, has just begun
The pain and suffering are just initiated, and it'll be times harder to cope with the emptiness and misery.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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