Bobbie Sue (song)
Encyclopedia
"Bobbie Sue" is a song made famous by the country music
group The Oak Ridge Boys
. Written by Wood Newton
, Dan Tyler and Adele Tyler, the song was released in 1982 as the title track to the group's album
. That April, the song became the Oaks' sixth No. 1 single on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
chart.
In addition to its country success, "Bobbie Sue" also fared well on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 12 on that chart in the spring of 1982.
"Bobbie Sue," named for the song's main character (and described as "the sweetest grape that ever grew on the vine"), is in a sense about an 18-year-old woman's sexual awakening. The role of boyfriend, the song's antagonist, is filled by the singer.
The first verse establishes that the antagonist had heard about Bobbie Sue from a friend, and he quickly spends as much time with her as possible. After turning 18, Bobbie Sue begins to rebel against her parents — Robert and Ruth — and decides to marry her boyfriend. Bobbie Sue's parents apparently disapprove of the relationship ("Her Daddy told her that she'd have to wait/Her Mama said don't make a big mistake"), but the young couple is determined to elope ("But we'll keep driving till we're out of state/And when they find us it'll be too late").
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
group The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet.The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in southern gospel during the 1950s...
. Written by Wood Newton
Wood Newton
Wood Newton is an American songwriter and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Newton was born in Hampton, Arkansas, and graduated from Hampton High School in Hampton, Arkansas in 1964...
, Dan Tyler and Adele Tyler, the song was released in 1982 as the title track to the group's album
Bobbie Sue
Bobbie Sue is the seventh album by the Oak Ridge Boys. It was released on February 10, 1982. Its title song was a #1 country chart hit and a #12 hit on the Hot 100 singles chart....
. That April, the song became the Oaks' sixth No. 1 single on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart.
In addition to its country success, "Bobbie Sue" also fared well on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 12 on that chart in the spring of 1982.
Song background and plot
The song is styled much in the vein of a late 1950s/early 1960s rock-and-roll song, as evidenced by its saxophone solo during the musical bridges."Bobbie Sue," named for the song's main character (and described as "the sweetest grape that ever grew on the vine"), is in a sense about an 18-year-old woman's sexual awakening. The role of boyfriend, the song's antagonist, is filled by the singer.
The first verse establishes that the antagonist had heard about Bobbie Sue from a friend, and he quickly spends as much time with her as possible. After turning 18, Bobbie Sue begins to rebel against her parents — Robert and Ruth — and decides to marry her boyfriend. Bobbie Sue's parents apparently disapprove of the relationship ("Her Daddy told her that she'd have to wait/Her Mama said don't make a big mistake"), but the young couple is determined to elope ("But we'll keep driving till we're out of state/And when they find us it'll be too late").
Chart performance
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks | 19 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Singles | 20 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Singles | 1 |