Aligned with the Outlaw country movement that also included Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and others, Bare had plenty of songs about unrequited love, living in Texas, and drinking too much alcohol. He recorded a number of albums on Columbia Records, but by the end of the 80's he would be semi-retired with a concentration on limited touring and independently released records. His son, Bobby Bare Jr., a successful alternative artist and producer, eventually got him back in the saddle where he would once again tour and record on a yearly basis.