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.
The Old Swimmin' Hole
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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Interstate 90 is a sight to behold
But that monument to progress and engineering skill
Has covered up the old swimmin' hole
Thirty feet straight up from where the old hole stood
They sell twenty kinds of icecream and the food is good
But it never can compare with the food for the soul
You could get for a dip in the old swimmin' hole
Felt good to a boy with mud on his feet
And I'm wishing these days I could strip to my soul
And go for a dip in the old swimmin' hole
A symbol of our great and affluent society Interstate 90 fulfillment of our goals
But that masterpiece of human ingenuity has covered up the old swimmin' hole
Gone the wooden schoolhouse the old country store
The winding dirt road that's winding no more
And the old swimmin' hole hears the sound of speeding wheels
Entombed beneath a blanket of concrete and steel
Oh the old swimmin' hole
was a place of joy for the singer as a boy. The singer talks about how progress and technology have bypassed towns and created the impressive sight of Interstate 90. However, this progress has come at the cost of covering up the old swimmin' hole, which held so much sentimental value for the singer. He explains how the area where the old swimmin' hole used to be is now a place where they sell ice cream and food, but nothing can replace the food for the soul that the old swimmin' hole provided. The lyrics describe how the singer longs to strip down to his soul and go for a dip in the old swimmin' hole once again.
The second verse of the song talks about how Interstate 90 has become a symbol of the affluent society of America, and how progress has covered up not just the old swimmin' hole, but also other important landmarks like the wooden schoolhouse and the old country store. The winding dirt road, which once led to the old swimmin' hole, is now no more, and the peaceful sound of water flowing has been replaced by the sound of speeding wheels on the interstate. The singer seems to lament the loss of these landmarks and the simple pleasures they once provided.
Overall, the lyrics of The Old Swimmin' Hole are a poignant reflection on progress and the ever-changing landscape of America. They serve as a reminder that with progress comes loss, and that sometimes simple pleasures that are important for the soul can be overlooked in the march of progress.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JACK CLEMENT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind