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.
But Only In My Dreams
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have known your sweetest charms
Two hearts in love, at least that's how it seems
But only in my dreams
Though my days are often blue
Night are always spent with you
There I know your love is really true
I have dreamed a dream that
I couldn't have in love
Just to have you for my own
I have known what life is for
Rich and gay with full reward
All that I could ever ask and more
But only in my dreams
I have dreamed a dream that
I couldn't have in love
Just to have you for my own
I have known what life is for
Rich and gay with full reward
All that I could ever ask and more
But only in my dreams
The lyrics of Marty Robbins’s song, “But Only In My Dreams,” describe a bittersweet fantasy of a love that the singer cannot have in reality. The opening lines “I have held you in my arms / I have known your sweetest charms” display a sense of familiarity and intimacy, suggesting that the singer has had romantic encounters with the person they sing about. However, the following lines “Two hearts in love, at least that's how it seems / But only in my dreams” portray the idea that it is only a figment of the singer's imagination. They long for a love that does not have a tangible existence in the physical world, but only in their dreams.
The second verse emphasizes the contrast between the singer's reality and their dreams with the lines “Though my days are often blue / Nights are always spent with you / There I know your love is really true / But only in my dreams.” In their waking life, the singer feels unhappy, unfulfilled, or lonely, but they find solace in their dreams where they have a deep emotional connection with the person they desire. However, despite the comfort that these dreams provide, the singer acknowledges that their dream love can never be fulfilled in reality. The theme of unrequited love and longing is reinforced in the final verse, where the singer sings about having everything they want in life, but still not having the one thing that they truly desire, “All that I could ever ask and more / But only in my dreams.”
Line by Line Meaning
I have held you in my arms
I have imagined holding you in my arms
I have known your sweetest charms
I have imagined experiencing your most endearing qualities
Two hearts in love, at least that's how it seems
In my imagination, we are both in love
But only in my dreams
However, this is all a fantasy
Though my days are often blue
Even though I am melancholic during the day
Night are always spent with you
My dreams always include being with you
There I know your love is really true
In my dreams, it feels like your love is genuine
But only in my dreams
Nevertheless, this is only a fantasy
I have dreamed a dream that
I have visualized a scenario where
I couldn't have in love
I am unable to have in real life
Just to have you for my own
The desire to possess you
I have known what life is for
I have experienced what existence is all about
Rich and gay with full reward
Prosperous and joyous with everything I could ever aspire for
All that I could ever ask and more
This scenario has granted me everything I could wish for and then some
But only in my dreams
However, once again, this is nothing more than a fantasy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOE T. BABCOCK
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!