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.
Cowboys and Daddies
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Momma is waiting, for you all alone
But I'll see you next Sunday
Let me dry your eyes
You know, cowboys and daddys, don't ever cry.
I liked the movie, the picnic was fun
Of course, I still love you, you don't have to ask me son
And let me dry your eyes
'Cause you know, cowboys and daddys, don't ever cry.
Chorus:
I dream some day, we could go away
I'd take you down to Mexico or up on Hudson's Bay
Are but only a fool, knows the grief of schemes
I've never been too good, at planning it seems.
Some day when you're older and the Cowboys grown
You'll know how it hurts every time I take you home
I wait for each Sunday with tears in my eyes
That's when Cowboys and Daddys, don't ever cry
Cowboys and daddys don't ever cry...
In the first stanza of the lyrics from Bobby Bare's song "Cowboys and Daddies," the singer is addressing a child who is sleepy and it is time to go home to their mother who is waiting for them. The singer reassures the child that they will see them again next Sunday and offers comfort by expressing the sentiment that cowboys and daddies do not cry. This can be interpreted as the father figure trying to be strong and comforting for the child even in difficult or emotional moments.
The second stanza continues the theme of reassurance and love between the singer (presumably the child's father) and the child. The singer recalls a pleasant memory of watching a movie and having a picnic with the child, and emphasizes that they still love the child deeply without needing to be asked. The repetition of the promise to see the child again next Sunday and the offer to dry their eyes shows the tenderness and care the singer has for the child, reinforcing the idea that cowboys and daddies are expected to be stoic and strong.
The chorus introduces a dream or aspiration the singer has to someday take the child on a special trip to Mexico or Hudson's Bay. However, the singer reflects on the unpredictability and challenges of life by acknowledging that only fools believe in such grand schemes. This reflects a sense of resignation or acceptance that life doesn't always go according to plan, and the singer may have struggled in the past with making these dreams a reality.
In the final stanza, the lyrics take on a more poignant and reflective tone as the singer acknowledges the passage of time. The singer imagines a future scenario where the child is older and the bond between them has evolved. There is a sense of heartache as the singer admits to the pain of saying goodbye to the child every Sunday, emphasizing that cowboys and daddies don't show their tears openly. This closing line underscores the theme of emotional strength and resilience expected from male figures in traditional gender roles, while also hinting at the deep emotions that lie beneath the surface.
Lyrics © MARTIN COOPER MUSIC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind