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.
Miller
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Amongst the swamps and everglades
There's a hole in Tiger Mountain
God help the man who gets lost in Miller's Cave
I had me a girl in Waycross, Georgia
But she had unfaithful ways
She made me feel I was unwanted
I caught her out one Sunday mornin'
With some guy they called Big Dave
Meanest man in Waycross, Georgia
I'd rather fight a mountain lion in Miller's Cave
So I said "You're gonna pay, both you and David, cause I'm gonna see you in
your grave." And they laughed at me... and then I shot 'em. And then I dragged their
cheatin', schemin' bones to Miller's Cave
I couldn't stand the way she did me
Well I guess I showed her I was brave
Most wanted man in the state of Georgia
They're never gonna fine me cause I'm lost...
In Miller's Cave
The song "Miller's Cave" by Bobby Bare is a cautionary tale warning men of the dangers of both cheating women and Miller's Cave. The song opens with the description of the swampy, treacherous terrain in southern Georgia, which includes Miller's Cave, that is home to bats, bears, and other creatures that make it difficult and dangerous to navigate. The cave is presented as a place of no return, a place of death, and Miller's Cave is where the singer of the song ultimately ends up after he catches his girlfriend cheating on him with a man called Big Dave.
The singer is angry and wants to seek revenge, but he cannot fight Big Dave as he is known to be the meanest man in Waycross, Georgia, so he decides to murder them both. He drags their bodies to Miller's Cave, possibly as a warning to others who might consider betraying him. The song ends with the singer stating that he is now a wanted man in the state of Georgia, but he is not worried because he is lost in Miller's Cave.
One interpretation of this song is that it serves as a warning against getting involved with the wrong women. The singer's girlfriend is portrayed as both unfaithful and manipulative, leading him to kill her and her lover in a fit of rage. The song is also an illustration of the dangerous and unforgiving nature of Miller's Cave, which is seen as a place where even the most ruthless man is no match.
Line by Line Meaning
Way down in the State of Georgia
Georgia has a hole in Tiger Mountain called Miller's Cave.
Amongst the swamps and everglades
Miller's Cave is situated in a location surrounded by swamps and everglades.
There's a hole in Tiger Mountain
Miller's Cave is a hole located in Tiger Mountain.
God help the man who gets lost in Miller's Cave
Miller's Cave is a dangerous place, and anyone who gets lost in it needs divine intervention for salvation.
I had me a girl in Waycross, Georgia
The artist had a romantic partner in Waycross, Georgia.
But she had unfaithful ways
The partner was not loyal to the singer.
She made me feel I was unwanted
The partner made the singer feel rejected.
Like the bats and the bears in Miller's Cave
The artist felt unwanted, just like the bats and the bears that live in Miller's Cave.
I caught her out one Sunday mornin'
The artist caught their partner with another man.
With some guy they called Big Dave
The partner was with a man named Big Dave.
Meanest man in Waycross, Georgia
Big Dave was known for being the meanest man in Waycross, Georgia.
I'd rather fight a mountain lion in Miller's Cave
The artist would rather fight a mountain lion in Miller's Cave than confront Big Dave.
So I said "You're gonna pay, both you and David, cause I'm gonna see you in your grave."
The singer threatened to kill their partner and Big Dave in retaliation for their infidelity.
And they laughed at me... and then I shot 'em. And then I dragged their cheatin', schemin' bones to Miller's Cave
The singer carried out their threat, killing both their partner and Big Dave and hiding their bodies in Miller's Cave.
I couldn't stand the way she did me
The singer was unable to tolerate their partner's infidelity.
Well I guess I showed her I was brave
By killing his partner and Big Dave, the artist wanted to show that he was brave.
Most wanted man in the state of Georgia
The artist is a fugitive since he is now one of the most wanted men in Georgia.
They're never gonna fine me cause I'm lost...
The singer is evading the law by hiding in Miller's Cave, making it impossible for law enforcement to find him.
In Miller's Cave
The story culminates with the singer taking refuge in Miller's Cave to hide from the law, the very same place he hid the corpses of his partner and Big Dave.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK CLEMENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind