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.
Mary In The Morning
Al Martino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When through a sleepy haze I see her lying there
Soft as the rain that falls on summer flowers
Warm as the sunlight shining on her golden hair
When I awake and see her there so close beside me
I want to take her in my arms, the ache is there so deep inside me
Chasing a rainbow in her dreams so far away
And when she turns to touch me, I kiss her face so softly
Then my Mary wakes to love another day
And Mary's there in sunny days or stormy weather
She doesn't care 'cause right or wrong the love we share, we share together
And nothing's quite as pretty as Mary in the evening
Kissed by the shades of night and starlight on her hair
And as we walk, I hold her close beside me
All our tomorrows for a lifetime we will share
The song "Mary in the Morning" by Al Martino speaks of the beauty and love the singer feels towards Mary. The opening line conveys that there is nothing quite as pretty as Mary in the morning. The singer describes how he sees her lying next to him in a sleepy haze, reminiscent of summer flowers drenched by the soft rain. The line "Warm as the sunlight shining on her golden hair" portrays Mary's physical beauty, a warmth that envelops the singer as he takes in the sight of her.
As the song continues, the singer expresses the depth of his love, describing how when he wakes up and sees her close by, he wants to hold her close to ease his longing. The line "Chasing a rainbow in her dreams so far away" symbolizes Mary's aspirations and dreams, which the singer admires. The song goes on to describe how he kisses her lovingly as she wakes up to start another day.
The last verse speaks of Mary being there no matter the weather, with an unconditional love that they share. The singer describes how Mary is still as beautiful in the evening, kissed by the shades of night and starlight on her hair. As they walk together, he holds her close as they look forward to spending a lifetime together.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing's quite as pretty as Mary in the morning
To the singer, nothing is as beautiful as waking up and seeing Mary in the morning
When through a sleepy haze I see her lying there
It's as though Mary is laying there in a dreamy state, and the singer can barely see her through his own haze of sleepiness
Soft as the rain that falls on summer flowers
Mary appears to be gentle and delicate, like the soft rain that falls on flowers during the summertime
Warm as the sunlight shining on her golden hair
The singer sees Mary as warm and glowing, much like how sunlight shines on her golden hair
When I awake and see her there so close beside me
Upon waking up, the singer sees Mary laying right next to him
I want to take her in my arms, the ache is there so deep inside me
The singer feels an overwhelming desire to hold Mary in his arms
Chasing a rainbow in her dreams so far away
Mary dreams of chasing rainbows, which seems like a faraway and impossible task
And when she turns to touch me, I kiss her face so softly
Whenever Mary reaches out to touch the singer, he responds by kissing her face gently
Then my Mary wakes to love another day
The singer wants to make Mary's waking moments full of love and happiness
And Mary's there in sunny days or stormy weather
No matter what the weather is like, Mary is always by the singer's side
She doesn't care 'cause right or wrong the love we share, we share together
Mary loves the singer unconditionally, regardless of whether their love is right or wrong by society's standards
And nothing's quite as pretty as Mary in the evening
To the singer, seeing Mary in the evening is just as beautiful as seeing her in the morning
Kissed by the shades of night and starlight on her hair
The singer sees Mary's hair as being kissed by the night shades and starlight
And as we walk, I hold her close beside me
The singer wants to hold Mary close to him as they walk together
All our tomorrows for a lifetime we will share
The singer and Mary plan to spend their entire lives together, sharing all of their future moments
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Johnny Hendry Cymbal, Michael C. Rashkow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gregory Johnson
As a child my father would play this album over and over and today at the age of 61 years old I remember all the day words of Al Martino's song and still enjoys his musc
teachyourkid
Mine too: daddy sang it to us to go bed. We lost daddy to VietNam 1969--I listen to it and cry. He was our everything.
Tim Gutierrez
gregory. My Dad also on weekends. Hw would play the album.
john maki
My dad had a '65 Buick Special with an am radio (GREAT back then!) and i first heard this AWESOME song (BY A REAL TALENT) then...FOR SOME REASON, A GREAT MEMORY FROM CHILDHOOD
Larry O'Hanlon
A lot of people have sung this wonderful song, but when Al Martino sings it, well he owns it. Lock stock and barrel.
Shane Copeland
Yes Susan I definitely agree that Glen Campbell knew his music.
Susan Edrington
@john maki I met him in 2011. We talked about mutual friends.
Susan Edrington
@Shane Copeland Glen knew his music!
Susan Edrington
I was raised on Al Martino’s version.
john maki
FOR SURE!