Al Martino (born Alfred Cini, October 7, 1927 - October 13, 2009, Philadelp… Read Full Bio ↴Al Martino (born Alfred Cini, October 7, 1927 - October 13, 2009, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an Italian-American singer and actor. After service with the U.S. Marines in World War II, including being a part of the Iwo Jima invasion where he was wounded, he commenced his singing career.

His single "Here in My Heart" was number one in the first UK Singles Chart, published by the New Musical Express in 1952, putting him into the Guinness Book of World Records. The song stayed there for nine weeks. Al Martino has stated that Mario Lanza dropped his plans to record this song after he called Lanza in Los Angeles and explained that his own recording would be neglected if he did so.

One of the most successful Martino hits was "Spanish Eyes", achieving several gold and platinum discs for sales. Recorded in 1965, the song reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart when re-issued in 1973. Even today, this classic by composer Bert Kaempfert (his original title for the song was "Moon Over Naples") is among the 50 most-played songs worldwide. Another hit was "Volare", (also known as "Nel blu, Dipinto di Blu"). In 1976, it reached number one on the Italian and Flemish charts, and was in the Top Ten in Spain, The Netherlands and France, as well as in many other European countries.

In the U.S., Martino had eleven top 40 hits in the Billboard pop singles chart in the 1960s and 1970s, with 1963's "I Love You Because" (#3) and 1964's "I Love You More and More Every Day" (#9) both reaching the Top Ten. He also sang the title song for the film, "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964), and is credited in the end titles of the film.

Apart from singing, Martino played the role of Johnny Fontane in the 1972 film The Godfather, as well as singing the film's theme, "Speak Softly Love". He played the same role in The Godfather Part III and The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980. He recently returned to acting, playing aging crooner Sal Stevens in the short film "Cutout", appearing in film festivals around the world in 2006.

When an artist is able to combine several important elements -- numerous international hit records, personal charisma, and a unique vocal style -- it inevitably leads to success. Known for such hits as "Spanish Eyes" and "Can't Help Falling in Love" in the 60's, Al Martino was in the midst of beginning his second career, which had already taken off with great momentum in the European market. Since the fall of 1993, Al Martino's songs had flooded the radio and television airwaves in Germany, and he consistently had sold-out concerts throughout the continent.

He continued to play to audiences in his later years around venues in the USA. Sadly he died on the 14th October 2009.

All Or Nothing At All
Al Martino Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You know the game of love, so the flame never burns you
No passion concerns you, no violins play
But me, I lose control of my heart when I'm near you
That's why I fear you and turn away
I need a love that's true, I wish it could be you
I know it should be you and so I say....

All or nothing at all

Half a love, never appealed to me
If your heart, never could yield to me
Then I'd rather have nothing at all

All or nothing at all
If it's love, there is no in between
Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
No I'd rather have nothing at all

But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
And my heart may go dizzy and fall

And if I fell under the spell of your call
I would be, caught in the undertow

So you see, I've got to say "No, No"
All or nothing at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Al Martino's "All or Nothing at All" speak about the fear of falling in love and getting hurt. The opening lines suggest that the singer has been burnt in love before, but he knows how to keep his distance from it. However, he finds himself losing control of his heart whenever he is near the person he wishes to love, which is why he is afraid of them and always turns away. He longs for a love that is true and wishes it could be the person he fears.

The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "All or nothing at all," which means that the singer wants to either have a full love or none at all. Half-hearted love is not enough for him, and he would instead have nothing than endure something that would never be complete. He believes that love is either everything or nothing, and there is no in-between. The singer is caught in a predicament between wanting to be with someone he loves and staying away to protect himself from the pain that comes with it.

The lyrics show the internal conflict of a person who is dealing with the fear of vulnerability in love. It depicts the struggle of wanting to open up to love but being scared of the danger it brings. It is an emotional song that encourages listeners to be brave in love but also shows the harsh reality of the consequences that come with it.

Line by Line Meaning

You know the game of love, so the flame never burns you
Because of your experience with love, you are cautious and do not let yourself become too involved.

No passion concerns you, no violins play
You have grown accustomed to avoiding strong emotions and do not allow yourself to feel too deeply.

But me, I lose control of my heart when I'm near you
In your presence, I feel overwhelmed and unable to control my emotions.

That's why I fear you and turn away
Because I know how vulnerable I am around you, I feel scared and choose to avoid you.

I need a love that's true, I wish it could be you
I crave an authentic, real love and wish that it could exist between us.

I know it should be you and so I say....
I recognize that you are the right person for me, which is why I am willing to take a risk and express my feelings.

All or nothing at all
Either we have a complete, genuine love or we have nothing at all.

Half a love, never appealed to me
I am not interested in a love that is only halfway, as it is not sincere or fulfilling.

If your heart, never could yield to me
If you cannot fully open up and share your heart with me, then I cannot accept a relationship with only part of you.

Then I'd rather have nothing at all
I am willing to walk away if we cannot have a true, complete love together.

If it's love, there is no in between
True love is all-encompassing and cannot exist only partially.

Why begin then cry, for something that might have been
It is not worth starting a relationship that may only lead to heartbreak and regret.

No I'd rather have nothing at all
I would rather have no relationship than a shallow or unrequited one.

But please don't bring your lips so close to my cheek
Your close proximity and affection make me feel vulnerable and out of control.

Don't smile or I'll be lost beyond recall
When you smile at me, it is too much for me to handle and I feel like I am losing myself in my emotions.

The kiss in your eyes, the touch of your hand makes me weak
Your actions and expressions of love have a powerful effect on me and weaken my resolve.

And my heart may go dizzy and fall
Because of the intensity of my feelings for you, my heart may become overwhelmed and I may lose my grip on reality.

And if I fell under the spell of your call
If I allowed myself to be swayed by your affection and charm...

I would be, caught in the undertow
I would be dragged along and unable to resist the power of my emotions for you.

So you see, I've got to say "No, No"
I must stay strong and refuse to give in to my feelings, for the sake of my own well-being.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: ARTHUR ALTMAN, JACK LAWRENCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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