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.
Mary Ann Regrets
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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For Saturday's date and I restlessly counted the hours
And today in the mail I received a short little note
And I broke down inside the message that her mother wrote
Mary Ann regrets she's unable to see you again
We're leaving for Europe next week, she'll be busy till then
They know that she loves me but poor boys don't fit in their plans
The weeks have gone by, not a word have I heard since then
In the papers I read of the far away places she's been
I can't eat, I can't sleep for over and over again
My mind reads that letter and I cry for my Mary Ann, Mary Ann regrets
My Mary Ann died, they said she just wasted away
My Mary had died too sad, she just wasted away
If I could have seen her I know she'd be living today
For we loved each other and if they had left us alone
Today she'd be wearing my ring, not a blanket of stone
Mary Ann regrets
The song "Mary Ann Regrets" by Bobby Bare is a poignant and heartbreaking story about a young man and his lost love. The song begins with the singer, who has been saving up his money to buy flowers for his sweetheart, Mary Ann, eagerly anticipating their date on Saturday. However, his hopes are shattered when he receives a note from Mary Ann's mother explaining that they are leaving for Europe and Mary Ann will be too busy to see him before they go. The lyrics reveal the class differences between the two families, as Mary Ann's parents believe that poor boys like him don't fit into their plans.
The song then fast-forwards a few weeks or perhaps months, and the singer still hasn't heard from Mary Ann. He reads in the papers about the faraway places she's been, unable to eat or sleep as he continuously reads the letter from her mother over and over again. The final verse reveals the tragic truth, that Mary Ann has died and the singer never got the chance to see her again. He believes that if they had been allowed to be together, she would still be alive and wearing his ring.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotional lament for lost love and the tragedy that separated the two young lovers. The lyrics are masterfully crafted to build up the emotional intensity, from the excited anticipation at the beginning to the devastating loss at the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I saved up my money to buy my sweetheart some flowers
I saved money to buy flowers for my lover for an upcoming date, and I was eagerly anticipating spending time with her.
For Saturday's date and I restlessly counted the hours
I was anxious for the upcoming date.
And today in the mail I received a short little note
I received a brief letter in the mail.
And I broke down inside the message that her mother wrote
I became emotionally upset when I read the letter that Mary Ann's mother wrote.
Mary Ann regrets she's unable to see you again
Mary Ann is sorry that she won't be able to see me again.
We're leaving for Europe next week, she'll be busy till then
Mary Ann and her family are going to Europe, and she will be busy until they leave.
They know that she loves me but poor boys don't fit in their plans
Mary Ann's family is aware that she loves me, but because of our financial disparity, they do not want us to be together.
Goodbye, true love, goodbye, my sweet Mary Ann
I am saying goodbye to my true love, Mary Ann.
The weeks have gone by, not a word have I heard since then
Time has passed without any communication from Mary Ann.
In the papers I read of the far away places she's been
I have read of Mary Ann's travels in the newspapers.
I can't eat, I can't sleep for over and over again
I am unable to eat or sleep and the situation keeps replaying in my head.
My mind reads that letter and I cry for my Mary Ann, Mary Ann regrets
Whenever I think of that letter, I cry for Mary Ann.
My Mary Ann died, they said she just wasted away
I received news that Mary Ann has passed away.
My Mary had died too sad, she just wasted away
Mary Ann was unhappy and her health has declined.
If I could have seen her I know she'd be living today
If I could have seen her, I believe Mary Ann would still be alive.
For we loved each other and if they had left us alone
Mary Ann and I loved each other and if they had allowed us to be together, she might still be alive.
Today she'd be wearing my ring, not a blanket of stone
If we were still together, Mary Ann would be wearing a wedding ring, not lying in a grave with a tombstone.
Mary Ann regrets
Mary Ann is feeling remorseful and sorry for the way things have turned out.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind