Born in Glendale, Arizona, Robbins taught himself guitar while serving in the United States Navy during World War II, and subsequently drew fame performing in clubs in and around his hometown. In 1956, he released his first No. 1 country song, "Singing the Blues" and one year later, released two more No. 1 hits, "A White Sport Coat" and "The Story of My Life". In 1959, Robbins released his signature song, "El Paso", for which he won the Grammy Award for Best Country & Western Recording. Later releases that drew critical acclaim include "Don't Worry", "Big Iron" and "Honkytonk Man", the last for which the 1982 Clint Eastwood film is named, and in which Robbins made his final appearance before death.
Over the course of his career, Robbins recorded more than 500 songs and 60 albums, and won two Grammy Awards, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and was named the 1960s Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music. Robbins was a commercial success in both the country and pop genres, and his songs were covered by many other famous artists, including Johnny Cash, the Grateful Dead and Elvis Presley. His music continues to have an influence in pop culture today, having recently appeared in several contemporary pop culture features, including the video game Fallout: New Vegas, and the series finale of AMC's Breaking Bad.
Robbins was born in Glendale, a suburb of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. His mother was mostly of Paiute Indian heritage. Robbins grew up in a difficult family situation. His father took odd jobs to support the family of 10 children; however, his hard drinking led to divorce in 1937. Among his warmer memories of his childhood, Robbins recalled having listened to stories of the American West told by his maternal grandfather, Texas Bob Heckle, who was a local medicine man. At 17, Robbins left his troubled home to serve in the United States Navy as an LCT coxswain during World War II. He was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean. To pass the time during the war, he learned to play the guitar, started writing songs, and came to love Hawaiian music.
Robbins' discography consists of 52 studio albums, 13 compilation albums, and 100 singles. In his career, Robbins charted 17 Number One singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, as well as 82 Top 40 singles.
Robbins' highest charting album is 1959's Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs. It charted to #6 on the all-genre Billboard 200, and was also certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album's first single, "El Paso", became a hit on both the country and pop charts, charting to Number One on the Hot Country Songs as well as the Billboard Hot 100. While that would be his only pop Number One, in 1957, "A White Sport Coat" charted to #2, and in 1961, "Don't Worry" charted to #3.
His final Top 10 single was "Honkytonk Man" from the 1982 eponymous film in which Robbins had a role. He died shortly before its release. Since his death, four posthumous studio albums have been released, but they made no impact on the charts.
Robbins married Marizona "Mari" Baldwin on September 27, 1948. They had two children, Ronny and Janet, and were married 34 years until his death.
Beyond the Reef
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My love has gone, and my dreams grow old
There'll be no tears, there'll be no regretting
Will she remember me will she forget?
**I'll send a thousand flowers where the trade winds blow
I'll send my lonely heart cause I love her so
Til then my heart will be beyond the reef
(**, repeat last two)
The lyrics of the song Beyond the Reef by Marty Robbins express the pain of losing a loved one and wondering if they'll remember the person who has been left behind. The first stanza describes a place beyond the reef where the sea is dark and cold, symbolizing the loneliness and isolation of the singer. His love has gone and his dreams are growing old, indicating that he has been waiting for a long time for the return of his loved one. The singer implies that he has accepted his fate and that there will be no tears or regrets, signaling a sense of resignation and hopelessness.
In the second stanza, the singer talks about his efforts to keep the memory of his loved one alive by sending flowers and his lonely heart to where the trade winds blow. The repetition of the phrase "I'll send" highlights the singer's determination to make his presence felt, despite the distance between him and his loved one. The final two lines of the stanza capture the essence of the song, with the singer acknowledging that his heart will remain beyond the reef until his loved one returns.
Overall, the lyrics of Beyond the Reef convey a sense of longing, hope, and sadness, making it a poignant ballad that has resonated with audiences over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
Beyond the reef where the sea is dark and cold
I feel lost and alone without my love, as though I am stranded far out to sea where the water is deep and unforgiving.
My love has gone, and my dreams grow old
My heartache is compounded by the fact that she has left and the hope that once burned bright within me for our future together has grown dim.
There'll be no tears, there'll be no regretting
I cannot undo what has happened, and so instead I choose to remember the happier moments that we shared in the past without dwelling on the sadness that now surrounds me.
Will she remember me will she forget?
I cannot escape the nagging doubt that she will soon move on and forget about me entirely, leaving me stranded with nothing but memories.
I'll send a thousand flowers where the trade winds blow
Though I am separated from my love by distance and circumstance, I will not let that keep me from expressing my affection for her through grand gestures like sending flowers to her wherever the wind may take them.
I'll send my lonely heart cause I love her so
Even though it hurts deeply, I will put my heart on the line and send it to her in the hopes that it will remind her how much I love her and how much I long to be reunited.
Someday I know she'll come back again to me
Despite the bleakness of our current situation, I cling to the hope that someday soon she will change her mind and find her way back to me, where we can be truly happy once more.
Til then my heart will be beyond the reef
Until that day of reunited bliss, my heart will remain adrift, lost in the vast unknown beyond the reef where the sea is both beautiful and treacherous, just like the bittersweet memories of our love.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: KEN LORIN DARBY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Judy Johnson
I love this song! Marty sounds great singing this song! He really sang Hawaiian music beautifully!
tony silver
Beautiful singing from Marty one of the true greats ...
Janet Goforth
I still enjoy listening to Marty Robbins. I can spend hours here on You Tube listening and watching the videos. He was such a super talent.
Dash Kharrngi
Me too 👍 👍
Buck Gonterman
No one can sing this song better. It's great.
Darrell Groce
Wonderful song, wonderful singer ,Marty Robbins missed so much.
carene226
Lovely rendition of "Beyond The Reef" by Marty Robbins
buz butler
Thanks for posting this. I have a black and white polaroid photo of me with Marty in 1963 in Saginaw Michigan after a show my dad had done with him. My dad said he was the most honest guy he ever worked with in music.
Carrut
thats so cool! thanks for sharing
Ukulele Crooner
when I perform I start every set with this song - but nobody does it better than Marty