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.
Crazy Arms
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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And a storm is brewing in this heart of mine
This ain't no crazy dream I know that it's real
You're someone else's love now you're not mine
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My trouble mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
So please take the treasured dreams I had for you and me
And take all the love I thought was mine
Someday my crazy arms may hold somebody new
But now I'm so lonely all the time
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My trouble mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
And that's why I'm lonely all the time
Bobby Bare's "Crazy Arms" is a song that deals with the pangs of unrequited love, with the singer acknowledging that his former lover has moved on to someone else, leaving him heartbroken and alone. The song's first verse sets the tone for the theme of the song, with the singer saying that he feels much worse than simply being "blue." He is dealing with intense emotions, such as anger and hurt, caused by the situation he finds himself in. The second verse describes the physical sensation of a storm brewing inside the singer's heart. The chorus features the repeated refrain of "crazy arms" that refer to the singer's longing to hold his former lover again.
The third verse shows the singer's acceptance of the situation, as he understands that his former lover is with someone else now, and he is left to deal with his loneliness. In the final verse, the singer gives permission to his former lover to take all the things that he held dear, his dreams, and love, and wishes her well. However, he still longs for the day when his crazy arms will find another person to hold.
Bare's emotional delivery of the song makes the lyrics even more impactful, with his deep, booming voice emphasizing the intense feelings of the singer. The song is a classic country ballad that solidified Bare's place in the world of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Now blue ain't the word for the way that I feel
I am not just sad, it's much deeper than that
And a storm is brewing in this heart of mine
My heart is in turmoil and chaos
This ain't no crazy dream I know that it's real
I am not in denial, I understand the reality of the situation
You're someone else's love now you're not mine
You have moved on and are now with someone else
Crazy arms that reach to hold somebody new
I am desperate to find someone else to hold onto
For my yearning heart keeps saying you're not mine
My heart longs for you but I know you belong to someone else
My trouble mind knows soon to another you'll be wed
I am aware that you will soon marry someone else
And that's why I'm lonely all the time
That is the reason why I feel lonely constantly
So please take the treasured dreams I had for you and me
Please take away the dreams I had of us together
And take all the love I thought was mine
Take the love that I believed was only meant for me
Someday my crazy arms may hold somebody new
Maybe one day I will find someone else to hold
But now I'm so lonely all the time
But for now, I am constantly feeling lonely
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brenda Fretwell
Good song I love that Bare!