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.
High and Dry
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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Looking for a dream I'd never found
But a woman soon gets hungry of living on a dream
And a town like this can turn her head around
I made her a promise that a break would bring a change
While clinging to a dream that wouldn't die
But she got tired of waiting
And the only break that came
Now my life is just as empty
As the pockets in my jeans
I don't have that dream to get me by
The thing that's worse than dying
Is living every day
Waking up each morning high and dry
If a dream has any value then how much is it worth
If it won't buy a man a bite to eat
Lord, I'm so tired of walking
If the devil had a hotel
I'd trade my soul for just a place to sleep
I'm a man without a purpose
I've lost my self respect
Since I buried all those dreams that died
I know tomorrow's coming and it won't be no better
I'll wake up in the morning high and dry
Now my life is just as empty
As the pockets in my jeans….
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's "High and Dry" tell the story of a man who has lost everything in pursuit of his dreams. He arrived in a town with a woman who believed in him and his ideas, hoping to find success and happiness. He made promises to her that their hard work would eventually pay off, but as time went on, she grew tired of waiting and left him. He is now left with nothing but the realization that his dream did not bring him the happiness he had hoped for.
The song captures the desperation and hopelessness that can come with pursuing a dream that never comes to fruition. The man in the song is left with the harsh reality that his dreams did not pay off, and he has lost everything in the process. The line "If a dream has any value then how much is it worth, If it won't buy a man a bite to eat" highlights the harsh truth that no matter how much we may value our dreams, they do not always translate into success or happiness.
The lyrics of "High and Dry" are a poignant reminder of the risks we take when we pursue our dreams, and the potential consequences if they do not come to fruition. It speaks to the importance of finding balance and understanding that success and happiness come in many forms, not just through the pursuit of our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I came here with a woman who believed in my ideas
I arrived at this place alongside a woman who believed in my ideas and supported my dream.
Looking for a dream I'd never found
I was searching for a dream that I had yet to discover.
But a woman soon gets hungry of living on a dream
However, a woman eventually grows tired of living only on a dream.
And a town like this can turn her head around
Especially in a town like this, it is easy for her priorities to shift.
I made her a promise that a break would bring a change
I promised her that taking a break would result in significant positive changes.
While clinging to a dream that wouldn't die
Despite being unsure of the likelihood of success, I remained devoted to my dream.
But she got tired of waiting
Unfortunately, she grew exhausted from waiting and hoping for progress.
And the only break that came
Despite my best efforts, the only change that occurred was that she left me.
Was when that woman left me high and dry
I felt abandoned and hopeless after she departed.
Now my life is just as empty
My current state of being is just as unfulfilling as my surroundings.
As the pockets in my jeans
I have no financial resources to help me achieve my dreams.
I don't have that dream to get me by
I no longer have a motivating dream to help me endure.
The thing that's worse than dying
In my experience, living in a state of despair is even more unbearable than death.
Is living every day
Being alive every day without hope or progress.
Waking up each morning high and dry
I am left feeling desolate and empty every day when I wake up.
If a dream has any value then how much is it worth
I am beginning to question whether my dream is actually worth anything at all.
If it won't buy a man a bite to eat
If my dream cannot even provide me with basic necessities, is it even worth pursuing?
Lord, I'm so tired of walking
I am exhausted from moving forward with no sense of direction or purpose.
If the devil had a hotel
I am so tired and desperate that I would even sell my soul to have a place to rest.
I'd trade my soul for just a place to sleep
I would give up everything I have for a moment of relief and comfort.
I'm a man without a purpose
I feel lost and purposeless, with no apparent direction in my life.
I've lost my self respect
I am unable to take pride in myself or my circumstances.
Since I buried all those dreams that died
Ever since giving up on my doomed dreams, I have been unable to find any new sense of purpose.
I know tomorrow's coming and it won't be no better
I dread what the future holds, as I have no reason to believe that things will improve.
I'll wake up in the morning high and dry
Every day, I am left with the same overwhelming sense of abandonment and lack of purpose.
Contributed by Levi R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.