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.
Summer Wages
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you know the odds won't ride with you
Never leave your woman alone when your friends around to steal her
Years I've gambled and lost like summer wages.
And we'll keep rolling on till we get to Vancouver
And the woman that I love is living there
It's been six long months and more since I've seen her
May be gambled and gone like summer wages.
In all of the beer bars all down along Main Street
The dreams of the seasons get all spilled down on the floor
All the big stands of timber just waitin' for falling
And the hookers waitin' watchfully as they sit there by the door.
So, I'll work on the towboats with my slippery city shoes on
Which I swore I would never do again
Through the gray fog-bound straits where the cedars stand a waitin'
I'll be far off and gone like summer wages.
--- Instrumental ---
In all of the beer bars all down along Main Street
The dreams of the seasons get all spilled down on the floor
All the big stands of timber just waitin' for falling
And the hookers waitin' watchfully as they sit there by the door.
So, I'll work on the towboats with my slippery city shoes on
Which I swore I would never do again
Through the gray fog-bound straits where the cedars stand a waitin'
I'll be far off and gone like summer wages.
Years I've gambled and lost like summer wages...
The song "Summer Wages" by Bobby Bare tells a story of a man who has been through a lot in his life and has made some mistakes along the way. He warns against the dangers of taking risks, both in gambling and in relationships. The first verse advises to never take too much of a risk, especially when the odds are not in your favor. The second verse speaks to the importance of not leaving your loved ones alone, as there may be people waiting to take advantage of the situation. The chorus speaks to the constant movement and uncertainty of the singer's life, as he travels towards the woman he loves and reflects on the times he has lost like summer wages.
The third verse paints a picture of the rough-and-tumble Main Street bars, where dreams are dashed and timber falls. The final verse circles back to the singer's own life, as he resigns himself to his fate of working on towboats and going where the wind takes him. The repetition of the chorus at the end reinforces the idea that life is unpredictable and that one must be prepared for the worst.
Overall, the lyrics of "Summer Wages" are cautionary in nature, warning of the dangers of taking risks and ending up with nothing to show for it. The song speaks to the struggles of life and moving forward despite the hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
Never hit seventeen when you play against the dealer
Don't try to win big against the odds
For you know the odds won't ride with you
The odds are never in your favor
Never leave your woman alone when your friends around to steal her
Don't trust your friends around your significant other
Years I've gambled and lost like summer wages.
I've lost everything I've worked for like it's nothing
And we'll keep rolling on till we get to Vancouver
We'll keep moving forward until we reach our destination
And the woman that I love is living there
My love is waiting for me in Vancouver
It's been six long months and more since I've seen her
It's been a while since I've been with my lover
May be gambled and gone like summer wages.
I might have lost my chance with my lover like I lost everything else
In all of the beer bars all down along Main Street
Every bar on Main Street is the same
The dreams of the seasons get all spilled down on the floor
People's plans and hopes get shattered and lost
All the big stands of timber just waitin' for falling
The forests are waiting to be cut down
And the hookers waitin' watchfully as they sit there by the door.
Prostitutes are on the lookout for clients
So, I'll work on the towboats with my slippery city shoes on
I'll take whatever job I can find, even if I don't like it
Which I swore I would never do again
I promised myself I wouldn't do this again
Through the gray fog-bound straits where the cedars stand a waitin'
I'll travel through the foggy waterways where the trees are waiting to be harvested
I'll be far off and gone like summer wages.
I'll be gone like everything else I've lost
Years I've gambled and lost like summer wages...
I've lost everything I valued like it's nothing
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IAN TYSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind