Bobby Bare Songs Ranked
Robert Joseph Bare Sr. (born April 7, 1935) is an American outlaw country music singer and songwriter, best known for the songs “Marie Laveau”, “Detroit City” and “500 Miles Away from Home”. He is the father of Bobby Bare Jr., also a musician. In the 1950s, Bare repeatedly tried and failed to sell his songs. He finally got a record deal, with Capitol Records, and recorded a few unsuccessful rock and roll singles. Just before he was drafted into the United States Army, he wrote a song called “The All American Boy” and did a demo for his friend, Bill Parsons, to learn how to record. Instead of using Parsons’ later version, the record company, Fraternity Records, decided to go with Bare’s original demo. The record reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Fraternity erroneously credited Bill Parsons on the label. The same track, with the same billing error, peaked at No. 22 in the UK Singles Chart in April 1959. In 1965, an album of older recorded material, Tender Years (JM-6026), was released on the Hilltop label. That same year, the material was repackaged by Sears and released under the title Bobby In Song (SPS-115). These albums are not usually included in Bare’s published discographies. Here are all of Bobby Bare songs ranked.
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10. Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends (Where Have All the Seasons Gone, 1971)
“A good, sad country song is a staple, just like a love song. This one is all about a fling that has the potential to be more. The implication is mournful, and it’s not likely to go anywhere, but the singer wants to believe that it could be more”
9. Margie’s At The Lincoln Park Inn ((Margie’s At) The Lincoln Park Inn, 1969)
“In the song, the man talks to his preacher and spends time at home with his family. He plans to do the best he can and go to church, but he’s still going to cheat on his wife and potentially ruin his family. Sometimes, for some people, all the love and family in the world doesn’t satisfy them, even when they know it should, and they have responsibilities.”
8. Dear John Letter (Featuring Skeeter Davis) (Tunes for Two, 1965)
“The Dear John letter has gone out of fashion in this internet-obsessed era. Before emails and probably even before phones leaving a message to “Dear John” or whatever his name happened to be was the rude breakup message. Rather than having the maturity to say it in person, you could just leave a note.”
See more: Bobby Bare Albums Ranked
7. 500 Miles Away From Home (500 Miles Away From Home, 1963)
“Parents want their children to be happy, but they grow up and move away. However, this song isn’t about a parent missing their child. It’s about losing everything and trying to get back to a place where you are loved and accepted unconditionally.”
6. Daddy What If (Lullabys, Legends, and Lies, 1973)
“Not only is the video for this song utterly precious beyond words, but it features Bare as a father. It is not a metaphor. His son Bobby Bare Jr. was five years old in the scenes from this video. The real-life glimpse of his family would have been worthy of an honorable mention even if the song wasn’t so great.”
5. Detroit City (Detroit City and Other Hits, 1963)
“Detroit City is one of the songs for which Bobby Bare is best known. Written by Danny Dill and Mel Tillis, this song resonates with anyone who ever moved far from a rural home. It is particularly poignant if your family puts you on a pedestal or if you’re prone to embellishing the truth to impress folks back home.”
See more: Janis Joplin Songs Ranked
4. That’s How I Got To Memphis (This Is Bare Country, 1970)
“Bobby is a great singer. This is a great song. They go well together. He is certainly one of the unique talents of Nashville.one can always tell when their is something special and different about entertainers. Bobby was like that from the very beginning. Iconic in every way.”
3. Dropkick Me Jesus (The Winner and Other Losers, 1976)
“Love this one – yes, it’s a fun song but behind it is an actually good, honest lyric along with a melody hook chorus you can’t get out of your head once you’ve heard it. And I love the steel pedal work.”
2. All American Boy (All American Boy, 1958)
“This hotly contended song was indeed written and recorded by Bobby Bare. Since he was unknown at the time, and shortly thereafter went into the military, Fraternity Records credited it to Bill Parsons. Amusingly, this song was a number one hit, but not the version recorded by Bare.”
1. Marie Laveau (Lullabys, Legends, and Lies, 1973)
“In case some of you didn’t know, the “screaming banshee” in this song was done by Shel Silverstein, who wrote the popular book for young school children, titled “Where the Sidewalk Ends.” Shel Silverstein and Bobby Bare were close friends, throughout their individual careers.”
