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 Wonderful Soup Stone
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swear you could taste the chicken and tomatoes
And the noodles and the marrow bone
But it really wadn't nothin' but some water and potatoes
And the wonderful wonderful soup stone.
Hangin' from a string in my momma's kitchen
Was a little ol' stone 'bout the size of an apple
It was smooth and worn and gray.
There wadn't much food in my momma's kitchen
So whenever things got tight
Momma'd boil up some water put in the stone
Say let's have some soup tonight.
And I swear you could taste the chicken and tomatoes
And the noodles and the marrow bone
But it really wadn't nothin' but some water and potatoes
And the wonderful wonderful soup stone.
It'd been in the family for a whole lotta years
So we knew it was a nourishing thing
And I remember momma as she stirred it in the water
And we could all hear her sing.
It's a magical stone and as long as we got it
We'll never have a hungry night
Just add a little love to the wonderful soup stone
And everything'll be all right.
And I swear you could taste the chicken and tomatoes
And the noodles and the marrow bone
But it really wadn't nothin' but some water and potatoes
And the wonderful wonderful soup stone.
So it carried us all through the darkenin' days
Till finally the sunshine came
And the soup stone started in a gatherin' dust
But it hung there just the same.
But ever since then Lord the food's been plenty
And ever now and then I find
That momma in the kitchen and the wonderful soup stone
Drifts across my mind.
And again I'd taste, taste the chicken and tomatoes
And the noodles and the marrow bone
But it really wadn't nothin' but some water and potatoes
And the wonderful wonderful soup stone.
We were nourished by the wonderful soup stone.
Oh, the wonderful, wonderful soup stone...
Bobby Bare’s song The Wonderful Soup Stone tells a story of how a simple stone helped feed and nourish a poor family during hard times. The stone was about the size of an apple and hung on a string in the family’s kitchen. Whenever the family had little food, the mother would boil some water and put the stone in, claiming they were having soup for dinner. While the soup was really just water and potatoes, the family would swear they could taste the chicken, tomatoes, and bone marrow. The singer explains that the stone had been in the family for many years and was considered a magical stone that would never let them go hungry if they had it. The singer also reflects on how the memory of the soup stone and his mother still come to mind from time to time.
The song's message reminds us of the importance of hope and how a simple object can bring comfort in the face of hardship. The soup stone was not just a stone, it was a symbol of hope and comfort. It represents how faith, love, and togetherness helped a family in their struggles. The song's lyrics paint a memorable picture of the stone, the soup, and the family's joy.
Line by Line Meaning
I swear you could taste the chicken and tomatoes
The soup was so hearty you could taste the individual ingredients, like the chicken and tomatoes.
And the noodles and the marrow bone
The soup was so hearty you could even taste the noodles and marrow bones.
But it really wadn't nothin' but some water and potatoes
Despite its rich taste, the soup had no actual meat or vegetables. It was mostly just water and potatoes.
And the wonderful wonderful soup stone.
The 'magical' stone that sat in the pot helped to flavor the soup with its strange powers.
Hangin' from a string in my momma's kitchen
The stone sat in the kitchen and was easily accessible whenever they needed to make soup.
Back in the hard time days
The family was dealing with difficult economic times and needed the soup to stay fed.
Was a little ol' stone 'bout the size of an apple
The soup stone was small, but its power was significant.
It was smooth and worn and gray.
The soup stone looked aged from years of use by the family.
There wadn't much food in my momma's kitchen
The family didn't have a lot of food on hand, which made the soup all the more important.
So whenever things got tight
Whenever times got tough, the soup stone was put to use.
Momma'd boil up some water put in the stone
To make the soup, Mom would boil water and then add the stone to create the flavor.
Say let's have some soup tonight.
Once the soup was ready, Mom would announce dinner with the familiar call, 'Let's have some soup tonight.'
It'd been in the family for a whole lotta years
The soup stone had been passed down through the family and was seen as highly valuable.
So we knew it was a nourishing thing
The family knew that the soup stone held some sort of special nourishing power.
And I remember momma as she stirred it in the water
The soup stone was carefully stirred into the water so as to release its 'magical' flavors.
And we could all hear her sing.
Mom would sing while she made the soup, which added to the magical feeling of the soup stone.
It's a magical stone and as long as we got it
The family viewed the soup stone as something special and almost magic in nature.
We'll never have a hungry night
As long as they had the soup stone, the family knew they would never go hungry.
Just add a little love to the wonderful soup stone
The secret to making the best soup was adding a bit of love, which infused the soup with an extra touch of magic.
And everything'll be all right.
The soup stone was viewed as a source of comfort for the family, a way to make everything okay during tough times.
So it carried us all through the darkenin' days
The soup sustained the family through difficult times.
Till finally the sunshine came
Eventually, things got better for the family and they no longer relied solely on the soup stone to stay fed.
And the soup stone started in a gatherin' dust
After things got better, the family no longer had as much need for the soup stone and it sat unused and started to accumulate dust.
But it hung there just the same.
Even though the soup stone was no longer actively needed, it remained in its place in the kitchen in case an unexpected hard time came along.
But ever since then Lord the food's been plenty
Once the dark days were over, the family no longer had to worry about where their next meal would come from.
And ever now and then I find
Despite the passage of time, the memory of the soup stone and what it represented to the family still remains with him.
That momma in the kitchen and the wonderful soup stone
The image of Mom and the soup stone both still have the power to remind the singer of what they went through and how they made it through tough times together.
Drifts across my mind.
The memory of the soup stone is fleeting, but it still lingers in the singer's mind.
We were nourished by the wonderful soup stone.
The soup stone was not just a tool for cooking food, it was a source of nourishment and comfort for the family during hard times.
Oh, the wonderful, wonderful soup stone...
The final line of the song is a simple nod to the soup stone's importance and the way it has stayed with the singer all these years.
Writer(s): Shel Silverstein
Contributed by Madison J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.