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.
Homesick
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't sleep at night can't eat a bite homesick too homesick to eat
I'm so homesick I'm going crazy and I don't know what to do
Too ashamed to cry too sick to die homesick to be with you
Little by little I'm losin' my mind cause I haven't been home in too long a time
But I'll be home soon I'll be home if I have to come in a box
Cause I'm homesick homesick for you
Can't sleep can't eat just roam the street homesick to be with you
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's song "Homesick" reflect the deep longing, loneliness, and desperation of a person who is separated from their loved one and their home. The singer expresses their intense yearning and emotional distress, unable to find solace in the usual comforts of sleep and food. The repetition of the word "homesick" emphasizes the overwhelming feeling of longing that consumes them.
The lyrics convey a sense of helplessness and despair, as the singer admits to feeling crazy and unsure of how to cope with their homesickness. They are too ashamed to cry, suggesting a sense of vulnerability and a fear of appearing weak. The line "too sick to die" captures the extreme emotional and physical toll that homesickness can take on a person.
The second verse reveals the severity of the situation, with the singer gradually losing their sanity due to the prolonged absence from home. The reference to coming home in a box implies that they are willing to go to extreme measures, even death, if it means being reunited with their loved one. The final lines reiterate their state of being, unable to find peace or rest, and persistently yearning to be with their beloved.
Overall, "Homesick" speaks to the universal human experience of longing for home and the deep emotional connection we have with our loved ones. It highlights the profound impact that being separated from home and loved ones can have on a person's mental and emotional well-being.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I'm so homesick all I do is roam the street
I feel an intense longing for home, causing me to wander the streets aimlessly.
Can't sleep at night can't eat a bite homesick too homesick to eat
The feeling of homesickness is so overwhelming that it disrupts my ability to sleep or have an appetite.
I'm so homesick I'm going crazy and I don't know what to do
The intensity of my homesickness is driving me to the brink of madness, leaving me uncertain about how to cope.
Too ashamed to cry too sick to die homesick to be with you
The homesickness I experience is so profound that it makes me feel too embarrassed to cry and too tormented to contemplate ending my life, as all I desire is to be with you.
Little by little I'm losin' my mind cause I haven't been home in too long a time
Gradually, my sanity is slipping away because I have been away from home for an extended period of time.
But I'll be home soon I'll be home if I have to come in a box
I am determined to return home, even if it means my arrival happens posthumously, symbolized by coming back in a coffin.
Cause I'm homesick homesick for you
The root cause of my homesickness is my longing and yearning to be with you.
Can't sleep can't eat just roam the street homesick to be with you
The inability to sleep or eat properly leads me to wander the streets, all because I am consumed by the desire to be reunited with you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILLY C COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@danielburns987
this song went to #38 on the country charts in 1966!!!
@johnsandiford5978
Awesome song,thanks for sharing Jack.I don't have many Bobby Bare albums but this might have to change in the new year.
@JWGauntt
very welcome Rock, you sure won't be disappointed i have about 100 of his songs but no original albums but the songs uploaded on utoob of his are great
@JennysCountryChannel
This is a wonderful song Jack! Thumbs up! And thanks for sharing! :-) Have a great Sunday, Jenny
@JWGauntt
JennysCountryChannel you're very welcome Jenny, have a wonderful week
@Muzikgirl67
This fantastic song by Bobby was enjoying it's 2nd week on the National Top 40 charts exactly 48 years ago this very week back in 1966!...It would only manage to stay on the Top 40 for 1 additional week, when it peaked at #38 on December 24, 1966...even though it's a great tune, maybe the music company made a tiny mistake in releasing this one when they did...cause just maybe people weren't really looking forward to hearing a song much that had the depressing lyric & line about being "so homesick, even if he has to return home inside of a box" especially during Christmas time that year! Maybe if the boys would've held out til Feb or March to release this one as a single, this could've become a MUCH bigger hit for Bobby! ..i'm just saying!...hehehe! Thanks Mr. Gauntt for tracking down another "Hard-to-find" diamond! Take Care! :)
@JWGauntt
You're very welcome Ms. Reed, personally i love depressing songs sometime they make me glad i'm not in their shoes and other times it's nice to know i'm not the only one. wonderful comment and info thanks much Lizzie Bee
@karolyneszepvolgyi559
Kedves Jack Nagyon tetszett a videó film.
Az énekes csodálatos, egyedülálló, fantasztikus.
A dalt imádattal hallgattam.
Köszönettel Klára Szépvölgyi
@JWGauntt
you're very welcome Clare, glad you enjoyed it
@BrankoMargetaRovinj
The good thing for my file ....