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.
Billy the Kid
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll sing of some desperate deeds that he did
'Way out in New Mexico long long ago
When a man's only chance was his own forty-four
When Billy the Kid was a very young lad
In old Silver City he went to the bad
'Way out in the West with a gun in his hand
At the age of twelve years he did kill his first man
There's Mexican maidens play guitars and sing
Songs about Billy, their boy bandit king
'Ere his young manhood has reached his sad end
With a notch an his pistol for twenty one men!
Was on a sad night when poor Billy died
He said to his friend, "I'm not satisfied
There's twenty one men I have put bullets through
Sheriff Pat Garrett must make twenty two!"
I'll sing you how Billy the Kid met his fate
The bright moon was shinin', the hour was late
Shot down by Pat Garrett who once was his friend
The young outlaw's life is now come to an end
There's many a man with a face fine and fair
Who start out in life with a chance to be square
Just like poor Billy they wander astray
They'll lose their lives in the very same way!
In Marty Robbins's "Billy the Kid", the singer describes the life of the infamous outlaw who lived and died in the Wild West. The lyrics describe Billy's early life in Silver City, New Mexico, where he went "to the bad" at a very young age. Robbins paints a picture of a dangerous land where possessing a gun was a necessity for survival. Billy's first murder occurred when he was only twelve years old, an indication of the violent life that he would continue to lead.
The second verse of the song speaks to the mythology that developed around Billy the Kid. In Mexico, where he was known as a "boy bandit king," there were songs and stories aplenty about Billy's exploits. The lyrics mention the "Mexican maidens" who would sing about Billy's daring deeds while playing their guitars. This verse adds a romantic, almost glamorous element to the story of Billy the Kid, even though the reality of his life was probably far from the image that was created around him.
The final verse describes Billy's death at the hands of Pat Garrett, his former friend. Billy is portrayed as a man who was never satisfied with the violence that defined his life. He asks Garrett to make him the twenty-second man that he has killed, suggesting that he is ready for his life to come to a close. The final lines of the song include a warning to those who might be tempted to follow in Billy's footsteps, suggesting that they too will meet a violent end.
Overall, "Billy the Kid" is a song that tells the story of a notorious outlaw in a way that is both romantic and cautionary. The mythology that has built up around Billy is evident in the lyrics, but there is also a sense of sadness and regret that runs through the song. The final message seems to be that a life of violence is not one that is worth living.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll sing you a true song of Billy the Kid
I will sing about the true story of Billy the Kid
I'll sing of some desperate deeds that he did
I will sing about his criminal actions
'Way out in New Mexico long long ago
It happened a long time ago in New Mexico
When a man's only chance was his own forty-four
When a man's only hope of survival was his gun
When Billy the Kid was a very young lad
When Billy the Kid was still a child
In old Silver City he went to the bad
He turned to a life of crime in Silver City
'Way out in the West with a gun in his hand
He went out west with a gun in hand
At the age of twelve years he did kill his first man
At the age of twelve, he committed his first murder
There's Mexican maidens play guitars and sing
Mexican maidens sing songs about him
Songs about Billy, their boy bandit king
The songs are about Billy, the leader of their gang
'Ere his young manhood has reached his sad end
Before he died in his early adulthood
With a notch an his pistol for twenty one men!
He had killed twenty-one men and marked his pistol's handle for each one
Was on a sad night when poor Billy died
Billy died on a sorrowful night
He said to his friend, "I'm not satisfied
Billy told his friend that he was not content
There's twenty one men I have put bullets through
He shared that he had killed twenty-one men
Sheriff Pat Garrett must make twenty two!"
He wanted Sheriff Pat Garrett to be the next person he killed, making the total number twenty-two
I'll sing you how Billy the Kid met his fate
I will sing about how Billy the Kid died
The bright moon was shinin', the hour was late
It was a late night with the moon shining bright
Shot down by Pat Garrett who once was his friend
He was killed by his former friend, Pat Garrett
The young outlaw's life is now come to an end
His life as an outlaw has ended
There's many a man with a face fine and fair
There are many men who appear to be good and honest
Who start out in life with a chance to be square
They begin their lives with a chance to do what is right
Just like poor Billy they wander astray
Just like Billy, they may take the wrong path
They'll lose their lives in the very same way!
They may also meet the same tragic ending
Lyrics © Public Domain Publisher
Written by: Public Domain
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A
on Johnny Fedavo
This is a fantastic, emotional song, thanks to whoever added the meaning behind the lyrics to this song. Makes it easy for some to understand a bit better!