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.
Passin' Through
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The first word I learned to utter was goodbye
Forgive me if I'm wrong in what I do to you
While passin' through passin' through
Happiness for me cannot be found but yet I still search from town to town
No offence but I don't think I'll find it here with you
Goodbye babe just passin' through
No woman needs or can hold the love I give her
Please understand I can't control these things I do
While passin' through passin' through
What was that did you say you thought you loved me
That's too bad girl cause if you really do
You'll just awaken with the dawn and find your love has flown
Like an old wild goose passin' through
Passin' through your life like a ragin' river
Like a cold north wind jus a passin' through
Goodbye babe passin' through
The song "Passin' Through" by Bobby Bare is a profound expression of a transitory spirit who is searching for happiness in his life on the go. The opening line of the song portrays the first sound that the singer hears is a woman's cry. This woman becomes the first person in his life to say goodbye, which he ends up repeating again and again throughout his life. While he has a sensitive heart, he acknowledges that his fleeting style of life does not allow for emotional attachments. He is conveying that he is not interested in settling down and has already learned to say goodbye before even learning to say hello. He is coming and going as quickly as the seasons change, flowing like a river through different towns, without any permanent destination. He cannot control these things he does, and therefore, sometimes it is better to leave and pass through than to stay and hurt the people he loves.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer knows that his style of life is not suitable for everyone. The song highlights how no woman can hold on to his love as his heart is free like the wind. The singer is empathetic about the implications of his way of life and is aware that it must often lead to heartbreak. He warns the girl he is with that his leaving will be like the old wild goose - he is going to disappear into thin air. The subtext suggests that the woman should not fall in love with the singer because he will be long gone by the next sunrise.
Line by Line Meaning
The first sound I heard was a woman's cry
The first memory I have from my infancy is the sound of a woman crying.
The first word I learned to utter was goodbye
The first words I learned to say were goodbye, signaling that my life would be transient and unpredictable.
Forgive me if I'm wrong in what I do to you
I apologize if my actions towards you are misconstrued or misunderstood, as I am only passing through your life and do not intend to cause harm.
While passin' through passin' through
My life is characterized by my constant state of transit, represented by the phrase passin' through.
Happiness for me cannot be found but yet I still search from town to town
Despite my inability to find lasting happiness in my transient existence, I continue to search for it in each new place I visit.
No offence but I don't think I'll find it here with you
I mean no disrespect, but I do not believe that I will find the happiness and fulfillment I seek in a relationship with you.
Goodbye babe just passin' through
As I continue on my journey, I must bid farewell to those I encounter, including you.
Passin' through your life like a ragin' river
My presence in your life is fleeting and tumultuous, much like a raging river that disrupts everything in its path.
No woman needs or can hold the love I give her
I have a tendency to love women intensely, but my transient nature means that I cannot remain with them, nor can they withstand the intensity of my love.
Please understand I can't control these things I do
I cannot help the way I am, and the unpredictable nature of my life means that I have no control over my actions and their consequences.
What was that did you say you thought you loved me
I am confused and surprised that you think you love me, given that I have already made it clear that I am only passing through your life.
That's too bad girl cause if you really do
Unfortunately, if you truly love me, you will be disappointed when you wake up one day and find that I have already moved on.
You'll just awaken with the dawn and find your love has flown
When you wake up in the morning, you will realize that my love for you was only temporary, and has moved on like a migrating bird.
Like an old wild goose passin' through
Much like a wild goose that migrates throughout its life, I too am constantly moving through life without a permanent home.
Passin' through your life like a ragin' river
Once again, I emphasize that my presence in your life is temporary and tumultuous, and I must move on.
Like a cold north wind jus a passin' through
Similar to a cold north wind that is unpredictable and fleeting, I am only making a brief appearance in your life before continuing on my journey elsewhere.
Goodbye babe passin' through
With this final farewell, I reiterate that I am only passing through your life and that our time together was brief and temporary.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY BARE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind