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.
Memphis Tennessee
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help me find the party tried to get in touch with me
She would not leave her number but I know who placed the call
Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
Help me information get in touch with my Marie
She's the only one who'd call me here from Memphis Tennessee
Her home is on the southside it's high up on a ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
The last time I saw Marie she was a waving me goodbye
With hurry home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eyes
But we were pulled apart because her mom would not agree
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee
Help me information more than that I cannot add
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
Marie is only six years old information please
Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee
The lyrics of Bobby Bare's song "Memphis Tennessee" tell a story of longing, distance, and a lost connection. The singer is desperately seeking help from long distance information to find someone named Marie in Memphis Tennessee. It is evident that Marie is someone very important to the singer, perhaps a former lover or a close friend, as indicated by the line "She's the only one who'd call me here from Memphis Tennessee."
The lyrics also imply that there is some sort of obstacle in their relationship. Marie did not leave her number and instead had to rely on passing a message through the singer's uncle, who wrote it on the wall. This suggests that they may have had to communicate in secret or that there may be disapproval from Marie's family.
The mention of Marie's home being on the southside, high up on a ridge, and near the Mississippi Bridge paints a vivid picture of her surroundings. This description adds depth to the character and solidifies the sense of place in Memphis, Tennessee.
The third paragraph reveals that Marie and the singer were separated against their will. It is implied that Marie's mother did not approve of their relationship and tore apart their "happy home." This adds a layer of sadness and the longing for what was lost.
In the last verse, the singer pleads for more information and expresses his yearning for Marie. He mentions that Marie is only six years old, which adds another level of heartache and possibly indicates that they were very young when they were torn apart.
Overall, the lyrics of "Memphis Tennessee" convey a sense of yearning, loss, and the desire to reconnect with a person from the past. It speaks to the pain of separation and the longing to recapture the happiness they once shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Long distance information get me Memphis Tennessee
I need to contact someone in Memphis, Tennessee through long distance information services.
Help me find the party tried to get in touch with me
Assist me in locating the person who attempted to contact me.
She would not leave her number but I know who placed the call
Although she didn't provide a contact number, I am aware of the caller's identity.
Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
My uncle took note of the message and wrote it down for me to see.
Help me information get in touch with my Marie
Please assist me in contacting my dear Marie.
She's the only one who'd call me here from Memphis Tennessee
Marie is the sole individual who would make phone calls to me from Memphis, Tennessee.
Her home is on the southside it's high up on a ridge
Her residence is situated on the elevated southside of a ridge.
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
It's only a distance of half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge.
[ ac.guitar ]
The last time I saw Marie she was a waving me goodbye
When I last saw Marie, she bid farewell, waving her hand.
With hurry home drops on her cheeks that trickled from her eyes
She had tears streaming down her cheeks, urging me to come back home quickly.
But we were pulled apart because her mom would not agree
Unfortunately, our relationship was severed due to her mother's disapproval.
And tore apart our happy home in Memphis Tennessee
Consequently, our joyful household in Memphis, Tennessee was torn apart.
Help me information more than that I cannot add
Please provide any additional assistance, as there isn't much more I can contribute.
Only that I miss her and all the fun we had
I can only express my longing for her and reminisce about the enjoyable times we shared.
Marie is only six years old information please
Please provide me with any information about Marie, who is merely six years old.
Try to put me through to her in Memphis Tennessee
Please attempt to connect my call to her in Memphis, Tennessee.
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