Bobby Bare – The Jogger

About The Song

In late 1979 Bobby Bare entered a Nashville studio to record material for what would become his Columbia album *Down & Dirty*. On one of those sessions he cut “Numbers,” a two-minute-and-fifty-second humorous narrative written by longtime collaborator Shel Silverstein. Columbia released the single in December 1979 under catalog number 1-11170, with “When Hippies Get Older” on the B-side. The track appeared on the album *Down & Dirty*, issued in early 1980, marking one of Bare’s stronger commercial outings during his later Columbia years.

Silverstein, who had already supplied Bare with major hits such as “Marie Laveau” and the Grammy-winning “Daddy What If,” crafted another witty, slightly risqué story that played perfectly to Bare’s deadpan delivery. The song arrived at a timely moment: the 1979 film *10*, starring Bo Derek, had made the “one-to-ten” rating system a pop-culture catchphrase. Silverstein turned that cultural moment into a clever barroom tale that mixed bravado, wordplay, and a sharp twist, fitting right into Bare’s catalog of narrative songs that blended humor with hard-won observation.

At its core “Numbers” unfolds as a first-person monologue set in a T.G.I. Friday’s bar. The narrator sits sipping a drink and quietly rates the women around him on a scale of one to ten. He admits there are no perfect tens in his book—nine is about as high as any woman can go. Verse by verse he builds the joke with escalating confidence until a sharp-eyed woman at the next table overhears him. She turns the tables, looks him over, and delivers the punchline: she rates him a one because, as she explains, “there ain’t no zeros.” The song ends with the narrator’s stunned silence, leaving the listener to imagine his reaction.

Bare delivers the entire story with the relaxed, conversational drawl that had become his signature since the early 1960s. His timing is impeccable, letting each setup land before dropping the next clever line. The arrangement stays light and swinging, with crisp guitar, steady rhythm, and just enough background vocals to support the tale without overpowering the spoken-like vocal. Producer work on the album kept the focus on Bare’s storytelling, giving the record the same intimate feel as his earlier folk-country hits while adding a touch of 1980s polish.

Released at the turn of the decade, the single climbed the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and peaked at number eleven in early 1980. It spent fifteen weeks on the national survey and became Bare’s first top-twenty country hit of the new decade. The modest crossover appeal also sent it to number forty-one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking his first appearance on that chart since 1964. The success helped *Down & Dirty* gain attention and reminded programmers that Bare’s wry sense of humor still connected with audiences.

Over the decades “Numbers” has remained a fan favorite and a staple of Bare’s live shows. It later appeared on compilations such as *20 Greatest Hits* and the Bear Family box set that collected his Columbia recordings. While never as widely covered as some of his earlier standards, the track has endured on classic-country playlists and in Silverstein retrospectives, appreciated for its sharp wit and perfect execution.

More than forty years after its release, “Numbers” stands as a clear example of Bobby Bare’s skill with humorous storytelling. What began as another Silverstein gem became a late-career highlight that showcased the same relaxed charm and narrative timing that defined his best work. The record remains a favorite among listeners who enjoy country music that can make them laugh while delivering a clever twist.

Video

Lyric

Well I’ve been a trucker more than twenty years
From the Charleston coast to the Jersey piers
Sharin’ the road with race car nuts and loggers
Sunday drivers scouts on hikes Hells Angels on Harley bikes
I never met a roader I didn’t like cept them joggers

One day I’m rollin’ down 1-0-1
I got 18 wheels under 14-tons
Radio playin’ a good ol’ country rocker
The day was sure a trucker’s dream
The sky was sunny and the air was clean
When up ahead on the road I seen one of them joggers

He was dressed like they do in baby blue
With shortie shorts and a headband too
I yelled Sweetie I bet that you are the hit of the men’s room locker
But I’m a runnin’ late with an overload
So get your Adidas off a this road
I’m LA bound and I don’t slow down for dead raccoons or joggers

Well without breakin’ stride or losin’ poise
He said you and that rig sure make some noise
But I can’t talk now cause I’m racin’ against the clocker
But it’s just nine miles to Forkers Leap
And if you ain’t afraid to race that heap
We’ll see how that ol’ rig holds up against a super jogger
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Race I must be hearin’ wrong
The boy’s been runnin’ in the sun too long
The only place he’s racin’ to is a doctor’s
But before I could say thank you no
That fool yells ready get set go
And the race is on we’re off and gone me and that maniac jogger

Well I could’ve left him far behind
But I played with him like a fish on a line
And I stayed about a half a mile behind that sucker
Then I pushed her up to forty-five
And he sees me comin’ and he starts to fly
So I pushed her to sixty and shift to high and finally catch that jogger
And it wasn’t easy

Now I’m doin’ eighty and I turned to check
And he’s stayin’ right with me neck in neck
His hearts a thumpin’ like my engine goin’ pop pop pocker
Then he yells out I hope you’re set
Cause I ain’t shifted into second yet
Then he unwinds and leaves me behind eaten the dust of a jogger

Then I see Him joggin’ up into the sky
And He yells hey thanks for the exercise
I hope that losin’ this race was not too shockin’
Ya see my Dad says Heaven’s no place to run
And I try to be an obedient Son
So I have to come down to earth to do my joggin’
Well that’s my story take it or leave it
My trucker buddies they believe it
So do those race car nuts and Harley hoggers
And I’m still drivin’ much the same
Cept I don’t call nobody names
And I tip my hat each time I pass one of them good old joggers

Hey here comes one now… Hey good buddy
How ya doin?
Want some gatorade?