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.
To Each His Own
Al Martino Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone to each his own
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, to each his own
One and only you
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
The lyrics to Al Martino's song "To Each His Own" seem to be addressing the idea of personal preference and the uniqueness of each individual's experience with love. The opening lines suggest that for a rose to fulfill its promise and become the beautiful flower it has the potential to be, it needs both sun and rain. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for love, which needs both light and dark times to fully develop and flourish.
The rest of the song continues to explore this idea of personal preference, implying that what works for one person might not work for another. The lyrics state that a dream, for example, must be shared by two people to come true, and that a song is only meaningful if its lyrics resonate with the individual listener. However, the singer ultimately declares that for them, their "own" is the person they're singing to - the "one and only you".
Overall, the song seems to be about the recognition that everyone has their own way of experiencing and expressing love, but for the person singing these lyrics, their preference is clear. They've found the person they want to be with and believe that for them, this is the right choice.
Line by Line Meaning
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
For a rose to survive and thrive, it needs both sunshine and rain.
Or its lovely promise won't come true
Without the proper conditions, the rose won't be able to fulfill its potential.
To each his own, to each his own
Everyone has their own tastes and preferences in life that should be respected.
And my own is you
I have found what I consider to be the best for me and it is you.
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
If the lyrics of a song don't convey the intended message or carry any meaning, then what's the point of the music?
And a dream must be a dream for two
Having someone to share your aspirations with makes it even more worthwhile.
No good alone to each his own
One cannot do everything alone and everyone should find their own way and their own person.
For me there's you
You are what fulfills me and makes everything worthwhile.
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
For a relationship to grow and develop, there must be something to ignite the passion and love.
To open each door there's a key
Every obstacle and challenge can be overcome with the right tools and resources.
I need you I know, I can't let you go
You are essential to my happiness and I cannot let you leave me.
Your touch means too much to me
Simply being in your presence and feeling your affectionate touch is invaluable to me.
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
A kiss is not complete until it is reciprocated with another kiss.
Or they'll never know what love can do
Without being with someone they love, they will never fully understand the power and magic of love.
One and only you
I have found the one person that I truly love and want to be with forever.
To each his own, I've found my own
Everyone has their own path and I have found mine.
One and only you
You are the only one for me and nothing else can change that.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ray Evans, Jay Livingston
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miltonmoore5294
This is one of those immortal
performances that as you run through your mind
other singers who
could make as strong an impression as Al
does here, the result comes up
that I can't think of
anyone topping this. At least for
me, anyway. He
REALLY chose his
songs well.
(Another immortal
baritone, Brook Benton, really slipped up by not
recording this!😭)
@miltonmoore5294
Returned for another
listen. What a voice!
And the orchestration
itself is "summa cum
laude." The choir and
the virtuoso Spanish
guitar work are exemplary. (I left two
comments several months ago.) Ray Evans and Jay Livingston deserve a
world of credit for
writing this masterpiece, among many others.
@lidiaelena100
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone to each his own
For me there's you
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
@th2830
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
For me there's you.
Two lips must insist and two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own to each his own
For me there's you.
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you I know
I can't let you go.
Your touch means too much to me dear
What good is a song if the words don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone I found my own one and only you...
@dunhillan8360
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
And my own is you
What good is a song if the words just don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone to each his own
For me there's you
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you I know, I can't let you go
Your touch means too much to me
Two lips must insist on two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, I've found my own
One and only you
@HJulie-wh7vo
A rose must remain with the sun and the rain
Or its lovely promise won't come true
To each his own, to each his own
For me there's you.
Two lips must insist and two more to be kissed
Or they'll never know what love can do
To each his own to each his own
For me there's you.
If a flame is to grow there must be a glow
To open each door there's a key
I need you I know
I can't let you go.
Your touch means too much to me dear
What good is a song if the words don't belong
And a dream must be a dream for two
No good alone I found my own one and only you...
@brigittef4320
My mom sang this song to me 40 years ago and I hunted for it for 30 years since - I was looking for 'a rose is a rose'. Now I've found it! Love you Mom
@kermit1421
I'm looking for only a rose, hope you find what your looking for.
@ignaciohiguero1616
<3
@taxslasher
Funny, since 5 a.m. I was searching for "A Rose is a Rose" too. Finally tried playing "To Each His Own" at 6 a.m. So happy to have found It. Love it! It touches the soul.
@cheraspinall8529
Frankie Laine does a beautiful job of it too. We had this song played as our first dance at our wedding in Nov. 1969. Unfortunately we divorced in 1975.
@miltonmoore5294
The incomparable beauty of his tone and phrasing shall
live on forever through his recordings.
@miltonmoore5294
This is one of those immortal
performances that as you run through your mind
other singers who
could make as strong an impression as Al
does here, the result comes up
that I can't think of
anyone topping this. At least for
me, anyway. He
REALLY chose his
songs well.
(Another immortal
baritone, Brook Benton, really slipped up by not
recording this!😭)
@davidwalsh3439
One of those songs that become more special as time goes on. Al Martino was always a very special singer.
@miltonmoore5294
Returned for another
listen. What a voice!
And the orchestration
itself is "summa cum
laude." The choir and
the virtuoso Spanish
guitar work are exemplary. (I left two
comments several months ago.) Ray Evans and Jay Livingston deserve a
world of credit for
writing this masterpiece, among many others.
@ruthboykin9873
Total beauty! Thank you, Milton!