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.

The End of the Line
Al Martino Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Where do you go
When there's nowhere to go,
And you don't wanna be where you are?
Where do you run
When there's no room to run,
And you've already run too far?

What good is love

When you offer your love,
But nobody wants to buy?
Why do I cry?
Why am I wondering why?

What can you say
When there's so much to say,
But nobody listens to you?
What good are dreams
If they're no more than dreams
That don't have a chance to come true?

What can you do
When nothing you do
Will ease your troubled mind?
And where do you go
When you come to the end of the line?

What can you say
When there's so much to say,
But nobody, nobody listens to you?
What good are dreams
If they're no more than dreams
That don't have a chance to come true?

What can you do
When nothing you do
Will ease your troubled mind?

And where do you go
When you come to the end of the line?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Al Martino's song "The End of the Line" are about feeling lost, alone, and hopeless. The singer is asking a series of questions about what to do when you feel like you have nowhere to go and no one to turn to. They wonder about the futility of offering love and dreaming, when those things don't seem to lead to anything.

The lyrics express a sense of frustration and despair, as well as a feeling of being powerless. The singer seems to be asking for guidance, but feels like there is no one listening. The line "What can you do when nothing you do will ease your troubled mind?" captures the sense of hopelessness that is present in the song. In the end, the singer is left wondering where to go when they have come to the end of the line.

Overall, the song is a poignant reflection on the difficulties of life and the struggle to find meaning and purpose when things seem hopeless. It speaks to the universal human experience of feeling lost and alone and searching for answers.

Line by Line Meaning

Where do you go
What is the next step for you to take

When there's nowhere to go,
When you feel trapped and have no options

And you don't wanna be where you are?
And you're unhappy with your current situation

Where do you run
What is your escape plan

When there's no room to run,
When you see no way out

And you've already run too far?
And you've exhausted all other options

What good is love
What is the value of love

When you offer your love,
When you give everything you have to offer

But nobody wants to buy?
But no one appreciates or accepts your love

Why do I cry?
What is the reason behind my tears

Why am I wondering why?
Why am I still questioning the situation

What can you say
What words do you have left to say

When there's so much to say,
When there's a lot to share or express

But nobody listens to you?
But no one is willing to listen

What good are dreams
What is the value of dreaming

If they're no more than dreams
If they can never become a reality

That don't have a chance to come true?
That don't have any possibility of happening

What can you do
What options do you have

When nothing you do
When all your efforts go in vain

Will ease your troubled mind?
Will calm your restless thoughts

And where do you go
Where is your final destination

When you come to the end of the line?
When you reach the ultimate conclusion