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.
When Love Is Gone
Bobby Bare Lyrics
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Life has drawn so many tears from your eyes
You've been used then lost the user you've been branded as a loser
Where did all the sincere people go
When love is gone it will not return
The river's full of your tears the bridges have been burned
Someone took your four leaf clover all your lucky days are over
That's the way you feel when love is gone
Nights're long dawn is heartless quiet heartaches in the darkness
How could scars so deep still plainly show
All the old dreams so delicious all the news came so suspicious
Where did all the simple pleasures go
When love is gone
, it seems like everything in your life has been turned upside down. The lyricist starts the song by describing how you will never notice the arrival of spring or the arrival of love because of the emotional pain you've been through. Your life has been marked with many tears and disappointment, and you feel hopeless about ever finding anyone who can love you for who you are, not just use you for their own benefit. You've been abandoned, betrayed, and left with nothing.
As the song continues, the lyricist paints a picture of what your life looks like after love leaves: you feel like you're alone in the world, nights are long and dawn feels heartless. Even small things like a four-leaf clover or the simplest pleasures no longer bring you any joy because love took everything with it when it left. You're left with nothing but the harsh reality of your life and the deep scars that were left behind.
Overall, the song describes the emptiness you feel when love is gone and how it seems to take everything good in your life with it. The lyrics are filled with pain and emotion, making it a powerful reflection on the struggles that come with losing love.
Line by Line Meaning
Spring could come you'd never show it love could come you'd never know it
You've become so jaded that even beautiful things like spring and love can't penetrate your heart anymore.
Life has drawn so many tears from your eyes
Your past experiences have brought so much pain and sadness that it's become a part of who you are today.
You've been used then lost the user you've been branded as a loser
You've been taken advantage of by people who didn't truly care about you, and it's left you feeling worthless and defeated.
Where did all the sincere people go
You can't seem to find anyone who genuinely cares about you or is willing to show you kindness without expecting something in return.
When love is gone it will not return
Once you lose love, it's gone for good and it's unlikely that you'll be able to find it again.
The river's full of your tears the bridges have been burned
Your pain and sorrow have overflowed to the point where it's impossible to turn back and start anew with someone else.
Someone took your four leaf clover all your lucky days are over
Someone or something has robbed you of the hope and positivity that used to guide your life, and now you feel as if there's no luck left for you.
That's the way you feel when love is gone
These negative emotions are a natural consequence of losing love, and it's hard to shake them off until you find it again.
Nights're long dawn is heartless quiet heartaches in the darkness
Even the peace of nighttime and the new hope of dawn can't soothe the deep pain you're feeling inside.
How could scars so deep still plainly show
Even though you've been hurt so much in the past, the wounds still remain and keep you from truly moving on.
All the old dreams so delicious all the news came so suspicious
You used to have such hopeful and wonderful dreams, but now everything seems tainted and untrustworthy.
Where did all the simple pleasures go
The small joys and pleasantries that used to make life enjoyable have disappeared, leaving you feeling empty and weary.
When love is gone
The repeated use of this line throughout the song emphasizes the overwhelming sense of loss and despair that accompanies losing love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TOM T. HALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind