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'm Happy 'cause You're Hurtin'
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm happy 'cause the one ya love is not in love with you
I'm happy 'cause he's treatin' you just like a used to be
I'm so happy that you're hurtin' just like me
I'm happy 'cause like me you're always lonesome
You're sentimental, always feelin' blue
Just like me you've lost your one and only
I'm happy 'cause you're hurtin', dear, and though it breaks my heart
I'm happy that by now I guess you learn you're not so smart
I'm laughin' 'cause you're cryin', dear, and though it shouldn't be
I'm so happy that you're hurtin' just like me
I'm happy 'cause like me you're always lonesome
You're sentimental, always feelin' blue
Just like me you've lost your one and only
You love him the way that I love you
I'm happy 'cause you're hurtin', dear, and though it breaks my heart
I'm happy that by now I guess you learn you're not so smart
I'm laughin' 'cause you're cryin', dear, and though it shouldn't be
I'm so happy that you're hurtin' just like me
In this song, Marty Robbins is expressing his feelings of happiness knowing that the person he loves is also feeling hurt just like him. The lyrics reveal that the one whom he loves is not in love with her, and she is being treated the way he used to be treated. The fact that they are both hurt and alone creates a sense of connection and comfort for Marty Robbins, even though he acknowledges that it is a difficult feeling to experience.
The repetition of the phrase "just like me" emphasizes the sense of shared pain and loss between the two lovers. Marty Robbins seems to take a somewhat bitter delight in the fact that the other person now knows how he feels after being left alone by the one she loves. He even goes as far as suggesting that she has learned that she is not so smart for loving someone who doesn't love her back.
The song is a classic country heartbreak ballad that plays on the theme of shared pain and the solace found in knowing that someone else is going through the same thing. It is a powerful exploration of the ways in which heartbreak can create a sense of connectedness between people.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm happy 'cause you're hurtin', dear, and though it makes me blue
I find joy in your pain, even though it also makes me sad.
I'm happy 'cause the one ya love is not in love with you
I'm pleased that the person you love doesn't love you back, just like you don't love me back.
I'm happy 'cause he's treatin' you just like a used to be
I'm delighted that he's treating you the way you used to treat me.
I'm so happy that you're hurtin' just like me
I'm overjoyed that you're experiencing the same heartache and loneliness that I am.
I'm happy 'cause like me you're always lonesome
I take pleasure in the fact that you, like me, always feel lonely.
You're sentimental, always feelin' blue
You're emotional and often sad, just like me.
Just like me you've lost your one and only
Like me, you've lost the person you loved most.
You love him the way that I love you
You love someone who doesn't love you back, just like I love you and you don't love me back.
I'm happy that by now I guess you learn you're not so smart
I'm pleased that you've come to realize your mistakes and shortcomings in the relationship.
I'm laughin' 'cause you're cryin', dear, and though it shouldn't be
It's wrong, but I can't help but find joy in your pain and tears.
I'm so happy that you're hurtin' just like me
I'm extremely glad that you're going through the same emotional turmoil that I am.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@miltonmoore5294
Under rated? No
country singer
I can think of re-
ceived more of
his rightful share
of acclaim. He is
enshrined in the COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME;
must be Columbia
Records biggest
selling country
artist; had more
"crossover" hits
than anyone I can
think of; and is on
everyone's Mount
Rushmore of
country vocalists.
@garrybutler3553
I worked in the coal mines with an older black man and we became good friends , one day he ask me who was my all time favorite singer.. I said, I guess that would be Elvis . Of course I asked him the same question and naturally I expected him to name an old Blues singer or a Soul singer but to my surprise he said Marty Robbins ! He said that man can sing like a fine tuned instrument.....
@DufDavis
When that fuzz bass kicks in it's like the future has arrived.
@buzzbear864
My mother thought the sun rose and set in Marty Robbins. She cried for days when he passed in 1982. She passed in 2004, and I have since took singing lessons and learned this song especially for her. It was her absolute all-time favorite.
@earlslot8320
great tribute to your mom and marty, gl bro
@shizueleighhicks6174
My Mom from Japan passed away in 2005. To her, Marty Robbins was peerless. Thank goodness she worked with a lot of Country Music fans. It meant many trips to Harrahโs in Tahoe and Reno as a kid for dinner shows. Saw Roy Clark, Roger Miller and the wonderful Marty Robbins. Pure talent and NO Auto Tune. Even as a kid I knew these performers were Solid Gold๐
@Gmgotmglgm
Respect
@theredbarroness
So sweet! Marty Robbins had it all and such a class act!
@callsignstatic6872
Legend has it that while recording the Marty Robbins 1961 pop-country classic, โDonโt Worry,โ session player Grady Martin inadvertently plugged his 6-string bass into a damaged channel on the mixing console, creating the first recorded instance of distorted bass. After the release of โDonโt Worry,โ Glenn Snoddy, the engineer on the session, re-created that sound; Gibson stuck it inside the Maestro FZ-1 Fuzz-Tone pedal; and everyone jumped on the distorted-bass bandwagon. Early adopters included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Roy Orbison, and Sly and the Family Stone, among many others. Since then, distorted bass has become a staple of rock โnโ roll and all of its subgenres. Sweetwater
@stormymonday9312
Wow, for the first recording to feature a "fuzz" sound I really didn't expect it to sound that good. That sounded pretty great!
@MissouriOzarkHillbilly
+stormymonday9312 The "fuzz" sound was an accident. Someone dropped the amp on the way into the studio.