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.
Kawliga
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He fell in love with an Indian maiden over in the antique store
Kaw-Liga too stubborn to ever let it show
So she could never answer yes or no.
He always wore his Sunday feathers and held a tomahawk
The maiden wore her beads and braids and hoped someday he'd talk
Kaw-Liga too stubborn to ever show a sign
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he never got a kiss
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he don't know what he missed
Is there any wonder that his face is red
Kaw-Liga that poor ol' wooden head.
--- Instrumental ---
Kaw-Liga was a lonely Indian never went nowhere
His heart was set on the Indian maiden with the coal black hair
Kaw-Liga just stood there and never let it show
So she could never answer yes or no.
And then one day a wealthy customer bought the Indian maid
And took her oh so far away but ol' Kaw-Liga stayed
Kaw-Liga too stubborn to ever show a sign
Because his heart was made of knoty pine.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he never got a kiss
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he don't know what he missed
Is there any wonder that his face is red
Kaw-Liga that poor ol' wooden head...
In the song "Kaw-Liga" by Marty Robbins, we are introduced to a wooden Indian statue named Kaw-Liga who is standing by a store door. He falls in love with an Indian maiden who is in the antique store across the street from him. The maiden hopes Kaw-Liga will speak to her, but he is too stubborn to show his true feelings for her. Kaw-Liga always wears his ceremonial feathers and holds a tomahawk, while the maiden wears beads and braids. Unfortunately, since Kaw-Liga cannot express himself, the maiden cannot answer yes or no to his love. One day, a wealthy customer buys the Indian maiden and takes her away, but Kaw-Liga remains in the same spot, too stubborn to show his love for her.
The song is a tale of unrequited love, where the wooden Indian statue, Kaw-Liga, is too shy to express his feelings for the Indian maiden he loves. He stubbornly refuses to show his emotions, leaving the maiden unable to return his affections. The story is one of silent longing and missed opportunities, demonstrating how shyness and stubbornness can lead to missed opportunities and unfulfilled desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Kaw-Liga was a wooden Indian standin' by the door
Kaw-Liga was a statue made of wood, standing at the entrance.
He fell in love with an Indian maiden over in the antique store
Kaw-Liga developed feelings for a different wooden statue, an Indian maiden kept in the antique store.
Kaw-Liga too stubborn to ever let it show
Despite feeling love for the statue, Kaw-Liga never showed it openly due to his pride.
So she could never answer yes or no.
As Kaw-Liga never expressed his feelings, the Indian maiden was unable to respond to his love.
He always wore his Sunday feathers and held a tomahawk
Kaw-Liga's appearance was traditional; he always wore his best feathers and carried a tomahawk.
The maiden wore her beads and braids and hoped someday he'd talk
The Indian maiden also wore traditional clothing and wished that Kaw-Liga would approach and speak to her.
Kaw-Liga too stubborn to ever show a sign
Having too much pride, Kaw-Liga never showed any indication of his feelings to the Indian maiden.
Because his heart was made of knoty pine.
Kaw-Liga's feelings were trapped within himself, just like the wood of which he was made.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he never got a kiss
Kaw-Liga never received affection from the Indian maiden.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he don't know what he missed
Kaw-Liga was unaware of the love and affection he could have experienced from the Indian maiden.
Is there any wonder that his face is red
It's not surprising that Kaw-Liga's wooden face remained expressionless despite his hidden feelings.
Kaw-Liga that poor ol' wooden head.
Kaw-Liga, being made of wood, was incapable of displaying true emotions or receiving love in return.
Kaw-Liga was a lonely Indian never went nowhere
Kaw-Liga remained alone and never left his post at the entrance.
His heart was set on the Indian maiden with the coal black hair
Kaw-Liga's love continued to be directed towards the wooden Indian maiden he could never have.
Kaw-Liga just stood there and never let it show
Kaw-Liga's pride kept him from showing his true emotions to the Indian maiden.
So she could never answer yes or no.
As Kaw-Liga never revealed himself, the Indian maiden could never respond to him or his love.
And then one day a wealthy customer bought the Indian maid
The Indian maiden, much to Kaw-Liga's dismay, was sold to a wealthy customer.
And took her oh so far away but ol' Kaw-Liga stayed
The Indian maiden was taken far away, but Kaw-Liga remained at the entrance, unable to do anything.
Kaw-Liga too stubborn to ever show a sign
Even in the face of losing the Indian maiden he loved, Kaw-Liga refused to reveal his true emotions.
Because his heart was made of knoty pine.
Kaw-Liga was trapped within his own wooden exterior, unable to truly express himself.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he never got a kiss
Kaw-Liga remained unloved and without affection throughout his life.
Poor ol' Kaw-Liga he don't know what he missed
Having never known love or human connection, Kaw-Liga couldn't comprehend the depth of his loss.
Is there any wonder that his face is red
Without human emotions, Kaw-Liga's wooden face remained stoic despite his tragic heartbreak.
Kaw-Liga that poor ol' wooden head...
Kaw-Liga's wooden exterior rendered him unable to truly feel or receive love throughout his life.
Writer(s): WILLIAMS HIRIAM HANK, ROSE FRED
Contributed by Ruby Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Zane Starr
He can even make a log of wood come alive...that's talent
tersane kozan
the best version of the song, ฤฑ listened nearly all versions, but Marty was at best on Kaw liga by far!
redneck child
I like this song a lot but Hank Williams done it fast and he will always be the best one that has ever done this song
Margalus
@DoubleJ1203 Yes, I agree. Hank Sr, then this, then Charlie.
skoot2u
Don McLean does a great version as well.
Jason
I didnโt like prides version
Anthony Bullard
I dunno, I like Marty Robbins pretty good, "Big Iron and Streets of Laredo" but when it comes to Kaw-Liga, I would have to say Charlie Pride is the best version.
Von Libertรฉ
Marty Robbins was a national treasure
TopKirby8305
Marty and Hank both did exceptional with this song! :3
SPOOKSTR
As a young lad i went with my dad to a Marty Robbins concert (Sydney Australia, Horden Pavillion), I met Marty after the show and never forgot how cool he was as a person....awesome voice, classic country/western, i always loved the gun-fighter songs. Thanks for uploading this song, havent heard it in years.