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.
Just in Case
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know this night with you is almost gone
And I memorize each moment of the special thing that's been
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
A daylight call the rest I struggle through it's changed into a magic time with you
Why once again my hands and eyes take your beauty in
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
It's true we talk of future things to be but beyond this dawn's too far for me to see
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
In Bobby Bare's song Just in Case, the singer is reflecting on a special night spent with a loved one, likely a romantic partner. As the dawn arrives, the singer is aware that the time they have together is fleeting, and they are trying to memorize and hold onto every moment. The singer seems to be trying to capture the essence of the moment, the magic they are experiencing with this person, just in case they never have another night like this one.
The singer also acknowledges the uncertainty of the future, unsure of what lies beyond the dawn. They know that they can't predict what might happen next in their lives, and they might not have this opportunity with this person again. In this way, the song carries a bittersweet tone, the beauty of the moment underscored by the knowledge that it may be fleeting.
Overall, Just in Case reflects on the ephemeral nature of love and special moments, urging the listener to cherish them while they last.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch the sky that brightens with the dawn
I observe the sky that brightens as the dawn arrives
And I know this night with you is almost gone
I realize that this night with you is almost over
And I memorize each moment of the special thing that's been
I commit every moment of this extraordinary thing to memory
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
In case a night like this never recurs, I want to remember it
A daylight call the rest I struggle through it's changed into a magic time with you
Even though I may struggle with the rest of the day, being with you transforms it into a magical time
Why once again my hands and eyes take your beauty in
So once more, my hands and eyes absorb your beauty
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
In case a night like this never happens again, I want to appreciate your beauty one more time
It's true we talk of future things to be but beyond this dawn's too far for me to see
It is true that we discuss what the future may hold, but I cannot predict beyond this dawn
So hold me now and love me before the night time ends
Therefore, please embrace me and demonstrate your love before the night concludes
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
Once more, in case a night like this never occurs again, I want to feel your love
Just in case a night like this one never comes again
One final time, in case a night like this never happens again, let me feel your love
Contributed by Michael J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.