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 the wind blows in Chicago
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk through the rain the wind whispers your name oh why won't they let me forget
Cause when the wind blows I get lonely and one day for sure you left behind
But the wind always blows in Chicago so I'm lonely most all of the time
Folks looks so happy on State Street they don't know that our love's not the same
There's a crowd all around but I don't hear a sound
Just the wind when it whispers your name
But the wind always blows in Chicago so I'm lonely most all of the time
Yes I'm lonely most all of the time
Well here I am in Chicago all alone near the place where we met
I walk through the rain the wind whispers your name oh why won't they let me forget
Cause when the wind blows I get lonely and one day for sure you left behind
But the wind always blows in Chicago so I'm lonely most all of the time
Folks looks so happy on State Street they don't know that our love's not the same
There's a crowd all around but I don't hear a sound
Just the wind when it whispers your name
And when the wind blows I get lonely and one day for sure you left behind
But the wind always blows in Chicago so I'm lonely most all of the time
Yes I'm lonely most all of the time
"When the Wind Blows in Chicago" is a song by Bobby Bare about a man who visits the place where he met his lover in Chicago, only to find himself lonely and overwhelmed by memories of their past. The wind serves as a symbolic reminder of the lover's absence, whispering her name and reminding the singer of the pain he feels. The lyrics convey a sense of loneliness and longing that can be felt in the man's voice as he traverses the familiar streets that once brought him joy.
The singer of the song experiences a painful nostalgia as he wanders Chicago's State Street, seeing happy crowds that make him feel even more isolated. His feelings are complicated by the fact that he is unable to forget his lover or the memories they shared, even though they are no longer together. The song captures a sense of timelessness, wherein the singer's experiences of loss and disconnect could occur at any time in history.
Overall, "When the Wind Blows in Chicago" is a poignant ballad that captures the universal human experience of heartbreak and loneliness. The song is made all the more expressive by Bobby Bare's soulful, evocative delivery of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Well here I am in Chicago all alone near the place where we met
I find myself in Chicago, by myself, close to the spot where we first encountered each other
I walk through the rain the wind whispers your name oh why won't they let me forget
While trudging through the rain, the wind carries your name, reminding me of memories long past, why can't I move on?
Cause when the wind blows I get lonely and one day for sure you left behind
Whenever the wind picks up, a wave of loneliness hits me, and one day, you definitely abandoned me
But the wind always blows in Chicago so I'm lonely most all of the time
Chicago is often windy, so I'm frequently feeling lonely
Folks looks so happy on State Street they don't know that our love's not the same
People seem content on State Street, failing to recognize that our relationship has altered significantly
There's a crowd all around but I don't hear a sound, Just the wind when it whispers your name
Although there are people nearby, I hear nothing except the whispering of your name carried by the wind
Yes I'm lonely most all of the time
I frequently feel lonely
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Audie Murphy, Scott Turner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank Childs
Beautiful indeed! Bianca your visuals showing the sky so light and open contrast perfectly with the urban wind Bobby sings about...amazing!
john sandiford
Nice song,thanks for sharing Bianca
BeMisty
+john sandiford You're welcome John! =)
freq 432
I've been waiting for somebody to upload this song for a while. Thanks
BeMisty
You're welcome! =)
Knewledge
Seriously. Is there a song that has ever been recorded that some rascal hasn't posted on YouTube. Anyway I'm recovering (I hope) from Covid and this is what I needed.
robert cowan
No where near as good as Roy Clark. Bobby Bare sang some great songs but this isn't one of them. Love all the pictures of Chicago though.
VA24541
Good song, but it don't look much like Chicago.
robert cowan
Nice but not as good as the Roy Clark version.
Knewledge
I didn't know Roy Clark recorded this. If he did, all I can say is, THANK GOD AND GREYHOUND. 😁