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.
I'll Step Aside
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll step aside for you if you don't care
I'm not the one to cling to a broken promise
I'll step aside for someone else somewhere
I'll step aside for you if you don't want me
I'll step aside for you and you alone
And when I'm gone just promise you'll remember
Before you go just answer this one question
As you gaze into my tear dimmed eyes
Can it be true, you never cared about me
And all those words I treasured were just lies
I'll step aside for you if you don't want me
I'll step aside for you and you alone
And when I'm gone just promise you'll remember
That I was once your darlin', all your own
"I'll Step Aside" is a country ballad by Marty Robbins about a man confessing his love and devotion to a woman who doesn't reciprocate those feelings. The lyrics express his willingness to let her go and step aside for someone else to take his place. He acknowledges that he cannot force her to love him or stay with him, and he's not the type of person to hold onto a broken promise. He is expressing his love despite the pain of rejection and heartbreak, and says that he will always remember her as his darling, but he must step aside for someone else.
The first verse establishes the idea of stepping aside due to the woman's lack of interest. The second verse shows the man's overwhelming love for the woman and his commitment, despite her feelings. In the third verse, he asks her if their relationship meant anything to her, questioning if she ever truly cared for him. The final verse concludes the ballad by repeating the idea of stepping aside and asking her to remember him.
The song explores themes of unrequited love, heartbreak, and the pain of letting go. The simple melody and gentle guitar strumming create a somber and introspective mood. Robbins' distinct vocals convey the sincerity and honesty of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll step aside for you if you don't want me
I will willingly make way for you if I am not what you desire
I'll step aside for you if you don't care
If my presence makes no difference to you, I will remove myself willingly
I'm not the one to cling to a broken promise
I will not force you to keep a promise that you have broken
I'll step aside for someone else somewhere
I will not keep myself in your way, for there may be another who is more suitable
I'll step aside for you and you alone
I will not leave room for another, I will simply remove myself for you
And when I'm gone just promise you'll remember
After I depart, please do not forget that I was once yours entirely
That I was once your darlin', all your own
Remember that there was a time when I belonged to you and you alone
Before you go just answer this one question
Before you leave, please grant me one request
As you gaze into my tear dimmed eyes
As you search my eyes that are filled with tears
Can it be true, you never cared about me
Is the possibility true that you never had any affection for me?
And all those words I treasured were just lies
Were all the words that I cherished nothing but false promises?
Lyrics © JOHNNY BOND PUBLICATIONS, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY BOND
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!