Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known profes… Read Full Bio ↴Martin David Robinson (September 26, 1925 – December 8, 1982), known professionally as Marty Robbins, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and NASCAR racing driver. Robbins was one of the most popular and successful country and western singers for most of his nearly four-decade career, which spanned from the late 1940s to the early 1980s.

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 Coudn't Keep from Crying
Marty Robbins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw you walking by his side
Heard you whisper all those lies
And I couldn't keep from crying
You sang him love songs tenderly
Just the way you sang to me
And I couldn't keep from crying

Saw you capture all his charms

As you nestled in his arms
With his pretty words and ways
In your heart he took my place

I stood and watched him steal a kiss

From two lips I know I'll miss
And I couldn't keep from crying.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to this song seem to be about heartbreak and betrayal. The singer watches his former love interest walk hand-in-hand with a new man, whispering sweet nothings and singing him love songs, just as she used to do with the singer. The singer is unable to hold back his tears as he watches this scene play out, feeling replaced and forgotten.

There is a sense of resignation in the lyrics, as the singer seems to know that he has lost this person and that she has moved on to someone new. The pain of his loss is palpable, especially as he watches her give her affection to another man. There is a sense of empathetic sadness in the song, as the singer speaks not just to his own experience but to the universal experience of heartbreak.

Line by Line Meaning

I saw you walking by his side
I witnessed you walking with him

Heard you whisper all those lies
I heard you say untruthful things

And I couldn't keep from crying
I was unable to refrain from shedding tears

You sang him love songs tenderly
You sang him romantic songs with affection

Just the way you sang to me
In the same manner that you sang to me

And I couldn't keep from crying
I couldn't help but cry

Saw you capture all his charms
I observed you attracting all of his alluring qualities

As you nestled in his arms
As you snuggled closely to him

With his pretty words and ways
With his charming speech and behavior

In your heart he took my place
He replaced me in your heart

I stood and watched him steal a kiss
I stood still and saw him take a kiss