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.
Heaven Help My Soul
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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When the moon fades away then you gonna find me gone
I'll kiss her lips so fine put that ring back on her hand
Takes a lowdown son of a gun to steal her lips from another man
So heaven help my soul for the bad things I've done
And the girl I thought so true cheatin' on a man while he's gone
I fight the pain inside but somehow I just don't care at all
Heaven help my soul for the bad things I've done...
I'll kiss her lips so fine put that ring back on her hand...
Heaven help my soul for the bad things I've done...
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's song Heaven Help My Soul tell a story of a man who regrets his unfaithfulness to his partner. The first verse talks about how the sun wakes him up every morning and how he'll be gone when the moon fades away. This indicates that the songwriter is leading a transient lifestyle. He then talks about his lover and how he stole a kiss from her despite her being involved with another man. The songwriter acknowledges that he is a "lowdown son of a gun."
The chorus of the song talks about the songwriter seeking forgiveness for his bad deeds. He acknowledges that he cheated on a girl while she was loyal to him. In the subsequent verse, the songwriter talks about how he tries to suppress his emotions but finds it hard to turn down good-looking women.
The song's title, "Heaven Help My Soul," is an indication that the songwriter is asking for divine intervention to alleviate the guilt he feels for his actions. The song has a fast-paced country music tune that complements the story being told in the lyrics. Overall, the song is a reminder that actions have consequences, and we must always try to do the right thing.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sun shines babe it'll wake you in the morning
I enjoy waking up early and spending my mornings with my lover
When the moon fades away then you gonna find me gone
I am not afraid of leaving my lover when the time comes
I'll kiss her lips so fine put that ring back on her hand
I regret cheating on my lover and want to make amends by proposing again
Takes a lowdown son of a gun to steal her lips from another man
I am ashamed of myself for stealing another man's lover
So heaven help my soul for the bad things I've done
I am aware of my wrongdoings and seek forgiveness from a higher power
And the girl I thought so true cheatin' on a man while he's gone
I feel betrayed by my lover for cheating on me while I was away
Every time I see a babe looking for a love to share
I am tempted to cheat on my lover again when I see other women
I fight the pain inside but somehow I just don't care at all
Although I know it's wrong, I am unable to resist my urge to cheat
Heaven help my soul for the bad things I've done...
I continue to seek forgiveness for my past mistakes
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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