Sometimes, love has a beautiful beginning. Two people fall in love and can’t be apart. And sometimes, love can lead to a sad ending when two people’s hearts are broken because there’s no more love. This is what “Streets of Baltimore” is all about.
Bobby Bare’s Version
In 1966, Tompall Glaser and Harlan Howard wrote the song “Streets of Baltimore.” The song was first recorded by Bobby Bare in 1966. After Bare’s recording, Glaser and his band covered the song. Bare made the song reach number five on the Billboard Country chart. Furthermore, the single also entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Streets of Baltimore” became part of his eighth studio album, The Streets of Baltimore. The album reached number seven on the Top Country Albums chart.
Other Versions
Other artists who covered Bare’s song were Charley Pride in 1969, Gram Parsons in 1973, Nanci Griffith in 1998, The Statler Brothers in 1974, and many more.
About the Song
The song is about a man who was in love with a woman. He took her as his bride and left everyone behind. She always tells him about a place she wants to live, and he surprised her by buying a ticket to that place. The woman in the song says that the light and the street of Baltimore is the most beautiful place in the world. She fell in love more deeply with the place, especially the nightlife. The narrator of the song works hard and comes home tired every day, but she still forces him to see the streets of Baltimore at night. Until, eventually, the narrator realizes that his wife is not in love with him anymore. She fell in love with the Streets of Baltimore.
But I soon learned she loved those bright lights much more than she loved me
Now I’m a going back on that same train that brought me here before
While my baby walks the streets of Baltimore
Yes my baby walks the streets of Baltimore
Aside from “Streets of Baltimore,” Bobby Bare is also best known for his songs “Detroit City” and “500 Miles Away From Home.”
Tags
bobby bare, Gram Parsons, Streets of Baltimore