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 Can't Help It
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And my heart fell at your feet
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you.
Somebody else stood by your side
And he looked so satisfied
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you.
As I brushed your arm and walked so close to you
Then suddenly I've got that old time feeling
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you...
The lyrics of Marty Robbins's song "I Can't Help It" describe the pain of seeing an ex-lover with someone else. The singer of the song sees their former flame on the street with another person, and despite the passing of time, they still feel strongly in love with the person. The anguish and longing are evident throughout the lyrics. The singer describes how a picture from the past comes to mind as they brush past their former lover and experience familiar feelings of attraction and desire.
The words of "I Can't Help It" are universal in their appeal, describing emotions that practically everyone can relate to at least once in their lives. The phrase "I can't help it" is an acknowledgement of the singer's struggle to let go of their former lover but unable to control their emotions. Furthermore, the specific line "My heart fell at your feet" conveys a sense of powerlessness as though the singer's fate is inextricably linked to that of their former lover.
Overall, "I Can't Help It" is a poignant expression of complicated and unresolved emotions that many people experience, and it remains a classic song about love and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Today I passed you on the street
I saw you today while I was walking on the street
And my heart fell at your feet
Seeing you made my heart filled with emotion
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you.
I can't control my feelings for you even if we are no longer together
Somebody else stood by your side
You were with another person when I saw you
And he looked so satisfied
The person that you were with looked happy
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you.
I still have feelings of love towards you even if you found someone else
A picture from the past came slowly stealing
Memories of us from the past came rushing back
As I brushed your arm and walked so close to you
As I walked close to you, I touched your arm
Then suddenly I've got that old time feeling
All of a sudden, the feelings that I had for you in the past came back
I can't help it if I'm still in love with you...
My love for you is still very strong and I can't do anything about it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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!