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.
Joli Girl
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smilin' at the passing strangers on their way
Holdin' hands like school kids in the summer August sun
Then I held it close to me, and I whispered
And wishin' the end would never come
Then a flower lady sold me one red rose to give you
Joli girl, when will you be mine
For your chestnut hair, just to make it shine
Then we stepped up to the first stand on the corner
And a taxi driver cussed us, 'cause a blind man got his tip
And we ducked out of the rain into a dusty little shop
And tapped "thank you" with his cane
For some coconut champagne
That traded books and fluffy hats, rings and beads
Then I held it close to me, and I whispered
Joli girl, you're all I need
Joli girl, I might be anywhere
Aw, Joli girl, please don't ask me how long I'll be stayin'
You and your dandy ship of dreams that we can share
The night is coming on and soon we'll have to go
Tomorrow is just another day, I'm maybe far away
So let's spread our blanket in the park and hold each other close
But remember, Joli girl, oh remember
Joli girl, I love you so
The lyrics of Marty Robbins's song "Joli Girl" describe a romantic stroll through Greenwich Village in the summer. The singer and the titular Joli girl hold hands and walk through the streets, smiling at strangers on their way. They duck into a dusty little shop to escape the rain and buy coconut champagne. The singer holds Joli girl close and whispers to her, wishing that the night would never end. He buys a red rose from a flower lady to give to her and marvels at her chestnut hair, which he wishes to make shine. The song is a bittersweet declaration of love, as the singer acknowledges that he might not always be there for Joli girl and that they must make the most of their time together.
The lyrics of "Joli Girl" were written by Marty Robbins himself. The song was released as a single in 1966 and appeared on his album "By the Time I Get to Phoenix". Robbins was primarily known as a country singer, but "Joli Girl" has more of a pop feel, with its lush instrumentation and romantic lyrics. Robbins's vocals are tender and heartfelt, conveying the depth of his love for Joli girl.
Line by Line Meaning
Aw, we walked the streets of Greenwich Village
We strolled down the streets of Greenwich Village
Smilin' at the passing strangers on their way
We smiled at the strangers walking by
Holdin' hands like school kids in the summer August sun
We walked hand in hand like school children under the sunny August sky
Then I held it close to me, and I whispered
I held you closely and whispered sweet nothings
And wishing the end would never come
I wished our time together would never come to an end
Then a flower lady sold me one red rose to give you
A flower lady sold me a red rose to give to you
Joli girl, when will you be mine
My dear Joli girl, when will you belong to me?
For your chestnut hair just to make it shine
I want to make your chestnut hair shine
Then we stepped up to the first stand on the corner
We headed towards the first stand on the corner
And a taxi driver cussed us, 'cause a blind man got his tip
A taxi driver cursed at us because he wasn't given a tip by a blind man
And we ducked out of the rain into a dusty little shop
We sought shelter from the rain in a small, dusty shop
And tapped 'thank you' with his cane
The blind man expressed gratitude with his cane
For some coconut champagne
We drank coconut champagne
That traded books and fluffy hats, rings, and beads
The shop sold books, fluffy hats, rings, and beads
Then I held it close to me, and I whispered
I held onto you and whispered again
Joli girl, you're all I need
My beloved Joli girl, you complete me
Joli girl, I might be anywhere
Joli girl, I could be anywhere
Aw, Joli girl, please don't ask me how long I'll be stayin'
Please don't ask me how long I'll be around, my dear Joli girl
You and your dandy ship of dreams that we can share
You and your fancy ship of dreams that we can share together
The night is coming on and soon we'll have to go
The night is approaching, and soon we'll have to leave
Tomorrow is just another day, I'm maybe far away
Tomorrow is just another day, and I may be far away
So let's spread our blanket in the park and hold each other close
Let's spread our blanket in the park and embrace each other tightly
But remember, Joli girl, oh remember
But please, Joli girl, remember
Joli girl, I love you so
Joli girl, I love you so much
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!