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.

Fool
Bobby Bare Lyrics

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I was born and raised
As an eastern girl in a western world
I was told to choose
To choose to be what I chose to be
Speaking impartially
There doesn't seem to be a place for me
But when I look inside I find
A place to run to hide

I was born to love
A distant land and a rising sun
I was born to love this
Green and pleasant land
Which way should I turn?
'cause I seem to fall towards burning
But when I look inside I find the place
To cry, to fly, to die

You and I, born as fools now
You and I think, think we rule now

Now I see the world
As an ancient place as a smiling face
I can choose to be
What I want to be if I choose to be
Speaking impartially
If the smile grows cold without me
I know a secret place to cry, to fly, to try

You know I'm burning in a flame now
Now I see the world
As an ancient place as a smiling face
Now I see the world
As a place where I can run to hide to
Which way should I turn?
'cause I seem to fall towards burning
But when I look inside I find the place
To try, to hide, to fly

You and I, born as fools now
You and I think, think we rule now

You and I, born as fools now
You and I think, think we rule now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Bobby Bare's song "Fool" describe the struggle of an individual who feels out of place in the world they were born into. The singer refers to their upbringing as being an "eastern girl in a western world", highlighting the disparity between their identity and their surroundings. They are torn between their love for a distant land and the green and pleasant land they were born into, unsure of which direction to turn. The singer acknowledges that they may appear to be a fool, born into a world that doesn't seem to have a place for them.

Despite this, the singer finds solace in looking inward and discovering a secret place to cry, to fly, and to try. They recognize that they may be burning with confusion and indecision, but they believe that they have the power to choose their own path. The chorus repeats the phrase "You and I, born as fools now, You and I think, think we rule now", suggesting that everyone feels lost and unsure of themselves at some point in life.

Overall, the lyrics of "Fool" express a universal struggle with identity and purpose. The singer offers a message of hope that even when we feel like fools in a world that doesn't understand us, we have the power to choose our own destiny.

Line by Line Meaning

I was born and raised
The singer was born and grew up.

As an eastern girl in a western world
The singer feels she doesn't fit in, as she was raised in one culture but lives in another.

I was told to choose
The singer was given the option to decide for herself what to do next.

To choose to be what I chose to be
The artist was encouraged to make her own choices and follow her own path.

Speaking impartially
Without bias or prejudice.

There doesn't seem to be a place for me
The singer feels like she doesn't belong anywhere.

But when I look inside I find A place to run to hide
The singer finds comfort and solace within herself.

I was born to love A distant land and a rising sun
The artist was naturally drawn to a foreign place and culture.

I was born to love this Green and pleasant land
The artist also has an affinity for the place she currently resides in.

Which way should I turn? 'cause I seem to fall towards burning
The artist is torn between two options, one of which could potentially be harmful.

But when I look inside I find the place To cry, to fly, to die
Once again, the singer finds a source of comfort and strength within herself.

You and I, born as fools now You and I think, think we rule now
The artist recognizes that neither she nor the listener have all the answers or knowledge.

Now I see the world As an ancient place as a smiling face
The singer now sees the world as something old and wise, but also friendly and welcoming.

I can choose to be What I want to be if I choose to be
The singer has the ability to determine her own destiny.

If the smile grows cold without me
If the welcoming nature of the world fades for her.

I know a secret place to cry, to fly, to try
The artist has a hidden place within her where she can experience a range of emotions and try new things.

You know I'm burning in a flame now
The artist is currently feeling intense emotion, likely negative.

Now I see the world As a place where I can run to hide to
The singer now views the world as a place of refuge and safety.

Which way should I turn? 'cause I seem to fall towards burning
This line is repeated to represent the ongoing struggle the singer faces in deciding which path to take.

But when I look inside I find the place To try, to hide, to fly
Once more, the artist finds strength and comfort from within.

You and I, born as fools now You and I think, think we rule now
The artist reiterates that neither she nor the listener have all the answers or knowledge.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEE HAZLEWOOD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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