His biggest hit was "Unchained Melody" in 1955. Other hits were "He", "11th Hour Melody", "Never Turn Back", and "After the Lights Go Low" (all in 1956). "After the Lights Go Low", sung with a put-on British accent, was his last charted hit.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Hibbler became a civil rights activist, marching with protestors and getting arrested in 1959 in New Jersey and in 1963 in Alabama. The notoriety of this activism discouraged major record labels from carrying his work, but Frank Sinatra supported him and signed him to a contract with his label, [lable]Reprise Records.
However, Hibbler made very few recordings after that, occasionally doing live appearances through the 1990s. He died in April 2001 in Chicago.
A Tree in the Meadow
Al Hibbler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a stream drifting by
And carved upon that tree I see
"I love you till I die"
I will always remember
The love in your eye
The day you carved upon that tree
"I love you till I die"
A silhouette I see
I know you're kissing someone else
I wish that it were me
By that tree in the meadow
My thoughts always lie
And wherever you go, you'll always know
I love you till I die
The song "A Tree in the Meadow" by Al Hibbler tells the story of a person reminiscing about a carved message on a tree in a meadow, that reads "I love you till I die," and the love that it represented. The tree and the meadow serve as a symbol for the memories of the past and the love that was once shared. The lyrics also reveal the heartache of the person, as they see their lover with someone else and long to be with them instead. The song is a poignant reflection on the power of love to last beyond separation and endure even in the face of heartbreak and loss.
The lyrics of "A Tree in the Meadow" are simple but evocative, and they have been interpreted in many different ways over the years. Some have seen the song as a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and love, while others have seen it as a tribute to the enduring power of romantic love. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, and it remains a beloved classic of the American popular music tradition.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a tree in the meadow
I know a place where a tree is situated in a meadow.
With a stream drifting by
There is a stream flowing near that tree.
And carved upon that tree I see
I saw that someone has engraved or etched something on that tree.
"I love you till I die"
The words etched on that tree were 'I love you till I die'.
I will always remember
I cannot forget the event that occurred there.
The love in your eye
I remember the expression of your love when you etched those words on that tree.
The day you carved upon that tree
I recall the very day when you incised that tree trunk.
"I love you till I die"
Again, the tree bears the inscription of 'I love you till I die'.
But further on down lovers' lane
Still, down the lane of lovers, a little further away from the tree...
A silhouette I see
I saw the almost indistinguishable outline of something...
I know you're kissing someone else
... and realized that that something was you kissing someone else.
I wish that it were me
I desire to be that person and not just any other bystander looking at the two of you.
By that tree in the meadow
Every time I pass by that tree in the meadow...
My thoughts always lie
...my thoughts invariably revolve around that tree and the love we once shared there.
And wherever you go, you'll always know
Wherever you might go in the future...
"I love you till I die"
...you will always know that I love you the same way I did when I incised 'I love you till I die' on that tree.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kim Lynn
My Father used to sing this song all the time. I lost my Dad 3 weeks ago. So good to hear this song. Thank you so much for posting. God bless you...