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.
Trees
Al Hibbler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A poem lovely as a tree
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
Against the sweet Earth's flowing breast
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray
A nest of robins in her hair
Upon whose bosom snow has lain
Who intimately lives with rain
Poems are made by fools like me
But only God can make a tree
But only God can make a tree
Al Hibbler's "Trees" is a song that explores the value and beauty of nature through the metaphor of a tree. The opening verse suggests that no poem could encapsulate the loveliness of a tree. The line, "A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed against the sweet Earth's flowing breast," illustrates the tree's close relationship with the earth and the way it drinks from it.
The second verse contains religious imagery, with the tree being described as looking at God and lifting its arms in prayer. This suggests that the beauty and power of nature are tied to the divine. The third verse further explores this relationship by describing the tree as a home for birds and a receptacle for snow and rain that allow it to thrive.
The final line of the song, "But only God can make a tree," underscores the idea that nature's beauty is a divine creation beyond human understanding. Overall, the song's lyrics are a tribute to nature's majesty and a call to appreciate and protect it.
Line by Line Meaning
I think that I shall never see
I don't think anything can truly compare to the beauty of a tree.
A poem lovely as a tree
There isn't a poem that exists which is as breathtaking and awe-inspiring as the magnificence of a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed
A tree whose roots are digging deep and thirsty for the life-sustaining water and nutrients from the earth it's planted in.
Against the sweet Earth's flowing breast
The tree's roots are deeply embedded in the natural world around it, drawing in nourishment from the soil and nutrients from the earth and embracing them as though it's a mother's milk.
A tree that looks at God all day
The tree, tall and proud, constantly looks up to the heavens above - to the all-seeing and omnipresent God.
And lifts her leafy arms to pray
As if in worship and devotion, the tree's branches are raised towards the sky, as though it's praying for the blessings of the almighty.
A tree that may in summer wear
During the warmth of summer, the tree provides shelter and space to birds and other creatures in its boughs.
A nest of robins in her hair
It's not uncommon to see birds nesting in the trees; in fact, it's a sign of nature's symbiotic relationship with the tree.
Upon whose bosom snow has lain
The tree has experienced snowfall, with the white flakes settling on its branches like a blanket.
Who intimately lives with rain
Rain provides vital sustenance for the tree; in fact, it's a central part of the tree's existence and growth.
Poems are made by fools like me
While poets can write about such beauty, it can't truly compare to the beauty and grandeur of the tree itself.
But only God can make a tree
It's only the divine force of God that can create a natural wonder like the tree; it's too complex and beautiful to be the work of any mere mortal.
Contributed by Liam T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.