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.
What Am I Gonna Do
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What am I gonna do girl what am I gonna do I love you so much what am I gonna do
Sittin' here and thinkin' bout you so far away
Wondering what you're thinkin' wondering what you'd say
If you were sittin' here beside me here alone beside me
Used to be so good with you baby baby
What am I gonna do what am I gonna do I love you so much what am I gonna do
You left me here alone said it all takes time
I should keep the place together keep everything in line
Why aren't you sittin' here beside me here alone beside me
Till you come back to me baby baby
What am I gonna do
The song "What Am I Gonna Do" by Bobby Bare is a classic country ballad about a man who is deeply in love with a woman who has left him. The lyrics express his feelings of loneliness and confusion as he tries to cope with her absence. The repetition of the line "What am I gonna do" emphasizes his sense of desperation and helplessness as he tries to imagine life without her.
The song begins with the man sitting alone, thinking about his lover who is far away. He wonders what she is thinking and what she would say if she were with him. He remembers how good it used to be between them and expresses his love for her. The chorus echoes his fear of losing her and his desperation to find a way to keep her in his life.
In the second verse, the man reflects on what his lover told him before she left. She said that it would take time and that he should keep everything in line until she returns. However, he can't help but feel that he needs her by his side. He longs for her presence and wonders how he will be able to carry on without her. Again, the chorus repeats his question, "What am I gonna do".
Overall, "What Am I Gonna Do" is a poignant portrayal of the pain of lost love and the struggle to keep hope alive in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
What am I gonna do girl what am I gonna do I love you so much what am I gonna do
The singer is expressing their love for their significant other and their uncertainty about what to do without them.
Sittin' here and thinkin' bout you so far away
The singer is currently alone and separated from their loved one.
Wondering what you're thinkin' wondering what you'd say
The singer is curious about their loved one's thoughts and opinions on the situation.
If you were sittin' here beside me here alone beside me
The artist desires their loved one's companionship and feels lonely without them.
Used to be so good with you baby baby
The artist reminisces about the past when things were good between them and their loved one.
You left me here alone said it all takes time
The loved one left the singer and gave them the advice that time will help heal their relationship.
I should keep the place together keep everything in line
The singer feels the responsibility to maintain their current situation without their loved one.
Why aren't you sittin' here beside me here alone beside me
The artist is questioning why their loved one is not physically present with them.
Till you come back to me baby baby
The artist longs for their loved one to return to them and be by their side again.
What am I gonna do
The repeated phrase shows the artist's overwhelming sense of uncertainty and helplessness without their loved one.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, TONI STERN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind