Bobby Bare cancels school appearance over 'beer' lyric

HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Country music legend Bobby Bare said he decided to cancel an appearance at a Tennessee elementary school instead of removing the word "beer" from a song.

Bare, who had been scheduled to perform for a third-grade program on country music at Nannie Berry Elementary School in Hendersonville, said he decided to cancel his performance when a teacher asked him to remove the word "beer" from "Singin' in the Kitchen," a song written by his longtime friend Shel Silverstein, the (Nashville) Tennessean reported Monday.

"Supper's done and table's clear / baby wants a bottle and I want beer," was the offending phrase in the song, Bare said.

The teacher asked him to change "beer" to "Coke."

Bare, who has two grandchildren at the school, said he decided not to perform.

"I said there's no way I can do that," Bare said. "It's the first verse, and [beer] rhymes with everything. So we just decided not to do it.

"It wasn't no big deal," Bare said. "I can understand how strict they are on the teachers, given the drug-free environment."

The Tennessean said it was unable to reach Nannie Berry Elementary School principal Kathleen Kimble or Sumner County Schools spokesman Jeremy Johnson for comment.