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 Quit
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who would be just halfway true
But I can't quit, I've gone too far
I'm deep in love with you
I'd like to pull up stakes and leave
That's what I'd like to do
But I can't quit, I've gone too far
I'm deep in love with you
If I knew then what I know now
I wouldn't be so blue
I'd-a quit seein' you long ago
I wouldn't be lovin' you
Well, you keep so mixed up inside
By things you say and do
But I can't quit, I've gone too far
I'm deep in love with you
I can't quit, I've gone too far
I'm deep in love, you see
You really know your way around
You're makin' it tough on me
Well, a truckload full of dynamite
Couldn't blast you out-a my heart
Are you there to stay, well, it's a-lookin' that way
Why don't you do your part
If I'd-a been smart I'd-a closed my heart
I wouldn't-a let you in
But I find I was wrong when I waited so long
I got you under my skin
Well, you keep so mixed up inside
By things you say and do
But I can't quit, I've gone too far
I'm deep in love with you
If I knew then what I know now
I wouldn't be so blue
I'd-a quit seein' you long ago
I wouldn't be lovin' you
Well, you keep so mixed up inside
By things you say and do
But I can't quit, I've gone too far
I'm deep in love with you
The song "I Can't Quit" by Marty Robbins is a classic country ballad about being caught in a difficult romantic situation. The singer is deeply in love with someone who is not trustworthy or reliable, and who has caused them a lot of emotional pain. Despite this, the singer admits that they can't quit the relationship because they have gone too far and are too invested in their love for the other person.
The song is a poignant reflection on the conflicted feelings that can arise in relationships that are complicated by love and betrayal. The singer is torn between their desire to leave and their inability to do so, and they express their frustration with their partner's behavior through lyrics like "You're making it tough on me."
The chorus of the song contains the repeated line "I can't quit, I've gone too far, I'm deep in love with you," which serves as a powerful reminder of the complexities of love and the difficulties of extricating oneself from a difficult emotional situation. Ultimately, the song is a testament to the pain and beauty of love, and the ways in which it can serve as both a source of joy and a source of frustration and heartache.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to find somebody
The singer wishes to find someone to love
Who would be just halfway true
The singer desires someone who is not completely untrustworthy
But I can't quit, I've gone too far
The singer is too invested in the relationship, despite its flaws, to end it
I'm deep in love with you
The singer is strongly, truly in love with the other person
I'd like to pull up stakes and leave
The singer wants to end the relationship and move on
That's what I'd like to do
The singer has definite intentions to end things
If I knew then what I know now
Looking back, the singer realizes they made some poor choices
I wouldn't be so blue
The singer wouldn't be feeling sad and regretful
I'd-a quit seein' you long ago
The singer would have ended the relationship earlier
I wouldn't be lovin' you
The singer wouldn't have developed such strong feelings for the other person
You keep so mixed up inside
The other person causes the singer a lot of emotional turmoil
By things you say and do
The other person's words and actions contribute to the confusion and complication of the relationship
You're makin' it tough on me
The other person is contributing to the difficulty and challenge of the relationship
Well, a truckload full of dynamite
No amount of force or power can get the other person out of the singer's heart
Couldn't blast you out-a my heart
The singer's feelings for the other person are strong and seemingly unbreakable
Are you there to stay, well, it's a-lookin' that way
The singer is unsure if the other person will stay, but it seems like they will
Why don't you do your part
The singer wants the other person to commit more fully to the relationship
If I'd-a been smart I'd-a closed my heart
The singer regrets ever letting the other person in and developing feelings for them
I wouldn't-a let you in
The singer wishes they had prevented themselves from falling in love with the other person
But I find I was wrong when I waited so long
The singer realizes that they were mistaken in waiting so long to try and break things off
I got you under my skin
The other person's presence and influence is deeply embedded in the singer's psyche, and difficult to remove or forget
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARTY ROBBINS
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!