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.
Living A Lie
Al Martino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A teardrop or two won't keep her loving you
Be grateful she's gone, no more to lead you on
Only fools want to try living a lie
You can't change her mind with your grieving
It's wrong to pretend, let it end
This first love may die but you've still got time, give it one more try
You don't have to cry when you kiss her goodbye
You can find someone else if you give it a try
Somebody else with a heart so true
That she'll never, never, never stop loving you
Be grateful she's gone, no more to lead you on
Only fools want to try living a lie
I know that you're sad but it's not so bad
When you think of the heartaches you might have had
She's only a flirt with a roving eye
Let her go, don't you know you're a lucky guy?
This first love may die but you've still got time, give it one more try
And that's better than living a lie
And that's better than living a lie
The song "Living A Lie" by Al Martino is a melancholic yet insightful ballad that encourages listeners to let go of those who don't truly love them. The first verse urges the listener to not cry when their significant other tells them they're leaving because it's not worth it to cry over someone who doesn't love them back. Even though it may be difficult to do, it's better to let them go and move on. The chorus reinforces this idea, emphasizing that trying to hold onto a love that just doesn't exist is a foolish mistake. The second verse reminds the listener that they can't change someone's mind by crying or pretending, and that there are better things in store for them if they are willing to give it another try. The song finishes with the uplifting message that it's better to move on than to continue living a lie.
Throughout the song, Al Martino's smooth and mellow voice serves as a perfect vehicle for the poignant lyrics. The song is infused with a sense of disappointment and resignation, making it an incredibly relatable and cathartic experience for anyone who has struggled with unrequited love. The slow, plodding melody and sparse instrumentation emphasize the sense of loss and sorrow that pervades the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Why cry when she tells you she's leaving?
Don't shed tears because she's leaving.
A teardrop or two won't keep her loving you
Crying won't make her love you again.
Be grateful she's gone, no more to lead you on
Be thankful that she's gone and can't deceive you anymore.
Only fools want to try living a lie
It's foolish to continue a relationship that's based on lies.
You can't change her mind with your grieving
You can't make her change her mind by crying and feeling sad.
It's wrong to pretend, let it end
It's not right to pretend that everything is okay when it's not.
This first love may die but you've still got time, give it one more try
Even though this relationship may end, you still have time to find love again and it's worth trying one more time.
And that's better than living a lie
It's better to try again than to continue living a fake life with your partner.
You don't have to cry when you kiss her goodbye
You don't need to cry when you say goodbye to her.
You can find someone else if you give it a try
If you keep an open mind, you can find someone else to love.
Somebody else with a heart so true
You can find someone else who is sincere and genuine.
That she'll never, never, never stop loving you
You can find someone who will love you unconditionally.
I know that you're sad but it's not so bad
I understand that you're sad but it's not the end of the world.
When you think of the heartaches you might have had
When you think about the pain you could have experienced, this breakup isn't too bad.
She's only a flirt with a roving eye
She's not loyal and has a tendency to flirt with other people.
Let her go, don't you know you're a lucky guy?
Let her go and move on because you're fortunate to have the opportunity to find someone better.
And that's better than living a lie
Trying to find someone new is better than living a fake life with someone else.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, DAMIAN MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: BUCHANAN, JOHNSON, VAN ZANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind