About The Song
In 1973 Bobby Bare recorded one of his most heartwarming hits as a duet with his young son. “Daddy, What If,” written by Shel Silverstein, appeared on the album *Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies* and was released as a single in early 1974. The track featured five-year-old Bobby Bare Jr. asking innocent questions while his father responded with gentle reassurance. It quickly became one of Bare’s biggest hits of the decade, climbing to number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and earning a Grammy nomination.
Shel Silverstein crafted the song as a tender, playful conversation between a father and child. The lyrics follow a simple yet touching pattern: the boy asks “Daddy, what if…” about various fears and curiosities, and his father patiently explains that everything will be okay. The song captures the pure, trusting bond between parent and child while gently addressing universal childhood worries in a way that feels both comforting and wise.
Bare and his son delivered the performance with natural warmth and charm. Young Bobby Jr.’s innocent, unpolished questions gave the track an authentic, endearing quality, while his father’s warm, steady responses grounded the song in quiet affection. The arrangement stayed simple, allowing the dialogue and emotional connection between father and son to take center stage. It was a rare and successful family recording that felt completely genuine.
The single’s strong chart performance came during a creative peak for Bare, when he was successfully interpreting Silverstein’s clever and often unconventional material. “Daddy, What If” proved that audiences responded enthusiastically to heartfelt, family-oriented songs that avoided sentimentality in favor of honest emotion. It became one of Bare’s most recognizable and beloved recordings from the 1970s.
The song’s enduring appeal lies in its simplicity and emotional honesty. Silverstein’s writing captured the special dynamic between a father and his curious young child, while Bare’s warm delivery made the reassurance feel sincere rather than saccharine. The track has remained a favorite on playlists celebrating fatherhood and classic country storytelling for decades.
More than fifty years after its release, “Daddy, What If” continues to resonate with listeners as one of Bobby Bare’s most touching recordings. It stands out in his catalog as a beautiful example of his willingness to explore personal and emotional territory, and it remains a highlight of his long collaboration with Shel Silverstein.
The song’s legacy also includes the special father-and-son moment it preserved. What began as a charming studio recording became a lasting testament to the bond between Bobby Bare and his young son, capturing a fleeting childhood moment in a way that still moves audiences today.
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Lyric
If the sun stopped shinin’ you’d be so surprised
You’d stare at the heavens with wide open eyes
And the wind would carry your light to the skies
And the sun would start shinin’ again
If the wind stopped blowin’ then the land would be dry
And your boat wouldn’t sail, son, your kite couldn’t fly
And the grass would see your troubles and she’d tell the wind
And the wind would start blowin’ again
Well, if the grass stopped growin’ you’d probably cry
And the ground would be watered by the tears from your eyes
And like your love for me, the grass would grow so high
Yes, the grass would start growin’ again
If you stopped lovin’ me, then the grass would stop growin’
The sun would stop shinin’ and the wind would stop blowin’
So you see, if you wanna keep this old world a-goin’
You better start lovin’ me again, again, you better start lovin’ me again
You hear me, Bobby? You better start lovin’ me again
You love me, Bobby? (Yeah) you better start lovin’ me again