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.
It's Freezing in El Paso
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can hear the footsteps walkin' by my bedside, Lord, she's leavin'
I can smell the perfume driftin' through my room
If I try to make her stay I'd know she couldn't leave and hurt me
Might as well be on the darkside of the moon.
'Cause it's freezin' in El Paso in the summer
Wish that woman could have took it when the hard times came around
Wish her winter hadn't spoil my summertime.
--- Instrumental ---
So when her plane takes off for Memphis I'll be sittin' in some tavern
I'll be washin' out the corners of my mind
When she's in the wild blue yonder I'll be feedin' that old jukeboy
Playin' every happy song that I can find.
'Cause it's freezin' in El Paso in the summer
All the sweet things here are dyin' on the vine
Wish that woman could have took it when the hard times came around
Wish her winter hadn't spoil my summertime...
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's song "It's Freezing in El Paso" by Billy Joe Shaver convey the emotional turmoil that the singer feels as his wife is leaving him. The opening line, "I can hear the footsteps walkin' by my bedside, Lord, she's leavin'" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is aware that his wife is leaving and cannot convince her to stay, nor does he want to. He would rather be alone than face the pain of being hurt by her leaving him.
The line "Might as well be on the dark side of the moon" suggests the isolation and loneliness that the singer feels. He is not just physically alone, but he is emotionally and mentally isolated as well. He feels like he is in a different world, separated from the rest of society. The imagery of "freezing in El Paso in the summer" emphasizes the emotional impact of his wife's departure, going against the expectation of warmth and sunshine during summertime that once brought him joy.
The chorus repeats the phrase "freezing in El Paso in the summer," highlighting the impact that his wife's actions have had on him. The singer wishes his wife could have stayed during the hard times and regrets that her leaving has spoiled his summertime. The final stanza suggests that he will find solace in music, seeking comfort in the jukebox by playing every happy song he can find in contrast to his current emotional state.
Line by Line Meaning
I can hear the footsteps walkin' by my bedside, Lord, she's leavin'
The singer hears the sound of her leaving his life, and he acknowledges it with the simple sentence that encapsulates the pain of abandonment.
I can smell the perfume driftin' through my room
The sensory details that overwhelm the singer contribute to his feeling of loss, making it seem all too real.
If I try to make her stay I'd know she couldn't leave and hurt me
The singer understands that he must let his wife leave him, or else he would be asking her to stay even though he knows that she is unhappy. He doesn't want her to stay just to spare his feelings.
Might as well be on the darkside of the moon.
With no one to turn to, the artist might as well be on the far side of the moon, as he remains isolated from the rest of the world.
'Cause it's freezin' in El Paso in the summer
All the sweet things here are dyin' on the vine
In describing the weather and the landscape, the artist conveys his feeling of loneliness and despair as he realizes that the warmth of his life is fading away.
Wish that woman could have took it when the hard times came around
Wish her winter hadn't spoil my summertime.
The singer laments the fact that she couldn't handle the tough times and had to leave, feeling that it was winter which ruined what should have been a beautiful season in his life.
So when her plane takes off for Memphis I'll be sittin' in some tavern
I'll be washin' out the corners of my mind
The singer imagines himself deep in thought, drinking in a bar when his wife's plane leaves for Memphis, feeling that it is the only way he can cope with the situation.
When she's in the wild blue yonder I'll be feedin' that old jukeboy
Playin' every happy song that I can find.
The artist deals with his sadness by finding solace in the music of the jukebox and using it to lift his mood.
Writer(s): JOE SHAVER
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.