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.
Gods Were Angry With Me The
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Gods were angry with me because they knew
I stood at heaven's portals but they were too high for any mortal such as I
So they took down the sun the skies were gray then the howling wind took you away
There was nothing I could do for I could see
It was because the Gods were angry with me
Once upon a time when our love was young and new
Then one day the Gods looked down and they saw me there holding you
That day they sent my heaven crashing to the ground
Yes they took down the sun the skies were gray
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's song "Gods Were Angry With Me" depict the singer's perception that they have been punished by the gods for loving someone. The singer is introspective about their relationship with their loved one, claiming that they once stood at heaven's portals but were ultimately rejected by the gods, who deemed their love unworthy. The use of this metaphorical language portrays how the singer feels as if their love was denied and that they were kept from reaching heaven.
The chorus stresses that the gods' anger is responsible for the singer's suffering, which is conveyed through the bleak skies and stormy weather as a metaphor for their emotional state. The singer laments that regardless of their efforts, the gods' decisions could not be altered, indicating their helplessness against fate. The song's melancholy tone echoes the theme of destiny and divine retribution, a recurring motif in storytelling throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
The Gods were angry with me for loving you
The Gods punished me because I loved you
The Gods were angry with me because they knew
The Gods were aware of my love and punished me for it
I stood at heaven's portals but they were too high for any mortal such as I
I felt like I was in heaven, but it was unattainable for someone like me
So they took down the sun the skies were gray then the howling wind took you away
The Gods caused destruction and took you away with a storm, leaving me alone
There was nothing I could do for I could see
I was powerless to change my fate and could see the outcome
It was because the Gods were angry with me
All of this happened due to the anger of the Gods towards me and my love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: WATT WATKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind