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.
By the Time I Get to Phoenix
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She'll find the note I left upon her door
And she'll laugh at word that says I'm leaving
Oh I've left that girl so many times before
By the time I make Albuquerque she'll be working
She'll probably stop for lounch and give me a call
But she'll just hear that phone go right a ringing
By the time I make Oklahoma she'll be sleeping
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her
Cause time and time I've tried to tell her so
She just didn't know I would really go
Marty Robbins's classic "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" is a somber, mournful ballad detailing the emotional journey of a man driving down the highway, leaving his love behind. The lyrics describe a series of moments in which the man imagines what his significant other will be doing when he gets to various locations along the route, punctuated by a chorus that highlights the fact that he's left her many times in the past.
In the first verse, the man imagines arriving in Phoenix just as the sun rises and his lover finding the note he's left on her door. The note likely explains that he's leaving or has already left, and the man knows that his lover will laugh at the idea that he's leaving, as he's left before and presumably come back. The second verse finds the man in Albuquerque, where he imagines his lover taking a break from work to call him, only to hear the phone ringing off the wall without any answer. By the third verse, the man is nearing Oklahoma, and he imagines that his lover will be sleeping and call his name out softly, wondering if he's really leaving. He acknowledges that he's tried to tell her that he would in the past, but now he's finally going through with it.
The song is a standout example of Robbins's ability to tell deeply emotional stories through his music. It's a melancholy piece that captures the sadness and pain of a relationship collapsing, even as the memories of good times linger. Robbin's powerful voice conveys the weight of the story, and the sparse instrumentation puts the focus on the lyrics, amplifying their emotional impact.
Line by Line Meaning
By the time I get to Phoenix she'll be rising
As I make my way towards Phoenix, I know that the sun will be rising soon and she'll wake up to find the note I left on her door
She'll find the note I left upon her door
After I leave, she'll come to know of my departure through the note I left on her door
And she'll laugh at word that says I'm leaving
Despite my repeated attempts to leave her, I know she'll still find humor in the idea of me leaving once again
Oh I've left that girl so many times before
I've tried to leave her multiple times before, but I keep coming back to her
By the time I make Albuquerque she'll be working
As I reach Albuquerque, she'll be busy with her work schedule
She'll probably stop for lounch and give me a call
She might take a break and try to call me during her lunch hour
But she'll just hear that phone go right a ringing
However, when she calls me, my phone will go unanswered and keep ringing
Off the wall that's all
The ringing will continue until it goes to voicemail, and that's all she'll get
By the time I make Oklahoma she'll be sleeping
As I get closer to Oklahoma, she'll probably be asleep
She'll turn softly and call my name out low
In her sleep, she might mutter my name softly to herself as if she's calling out for me
And she'll cry just to think I'd really leave her
The idea of me actually leaving her will bring her to tears
Cause time and time I've tried to tell her so
Although I've tried to be honest with her about my feelings and intentions, I feel like she didn't truly believe me
She just didn't know I would really go
She didn't expect me to actually go through with leaving her, but I have to follow through this time
Contributed by Penelope Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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!