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 Couldn
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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.
In Marty Robbins's song "I Couldn't Keep From Crying," the singer watches his former lover strut her stuff with a new man. Although he knows the relationship is over, he is still heartbroken and can't help but feel jealous and betrayed. The singer observes her tenderness and sweetness towards her new lover and cannot help but feel sorry for himself. He watches her fall in love with another man and feels like he is being replaced. Robbins's masterful use of storytelling and lyrics captures the emotions the singer experiences, making the listener feel like they are there with him, experiencing his turmoil.
The first verse of the song reveals the singer's vulnerability as he sees his ex-lover whispering lies to her new guy. He feels like his love and trust have been betrayed, and he can't hold back his tears. In the second verse, she captures the essence of her new guy's charm while snuggling in his arms. The singer is overwhelmed with jealousy, watching his love sing love songs to someone else. In the final verse, he watches her kiss another man, knowing he will miss her lips more than anything else in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you walking by his side
I observed you walking with another man
Heard you whisper all those lies
I overheard you telling lies to him
And I couldn't keep from crying
It made me emotional/upset, and I cried
You sang him love songs tenderly
You sang romantic songs to him in a gentle manner
Just the way you sang to me
The same way you sang to me when we were together
And I couldn't keep from crying
It hurt me to see you with another man
Saw you capture all his charms
I witnessed you being attracted to his charisma
As you nestled in his arms
As you snuggled up to him
With his pretty words and ways
He impressed you with his charming personality and pleasing mannerisms
In your heart he took my place
He replaced me in your affections/emotions
I stood and watched him steal a kiss
I saw him take a romantic gesture from you
From two lips I know I'll miss
From the lips that I used to kiss and will miss
And I couldn't keep from crying
It was too much for me to bear, and I cried
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARTY ROBBINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrew Mcnaught
The late great Marty Robbins : no one does this better, sadly missed by a fan over the pond in Scotland
Bubs D
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.