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.
Lovely Hula Hands
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Graceful as the birds in motion
Gliding like the gulls over the ocean
Lovely hula hands, kou lima nani e.
Lovely hula hands
Telling of the rains in the valley
And the swirling winds over the pali
Hui:
I can feel your soft caresses of your hula hand
Your lovely hula hands
Every little move expresses so I'll understand
All the tender meaning.
Of your hula hands
Fingertips that say aloha
Say to me again I love you
Lovely hula hands, kou lima nani e...
The song Lovely Hula Hands by Marty Robbins is a beautiful tribute to the traditional dance of Hawaii. The lyrics describe the hands of the hula dancers, which are described as being as graceful as birds in motion and gliding like gulls over the ocean. The hands are not only beautiful in their movements, but they also tell stories of the natural elements such as the rains in the valley and swirling winds over the pali. The chorus of the song expresses the sentiment that one can feel the tender meaning of the dancers' movements through their "soft caresses" and "fingertips that say aloha." The song is a celebration of the unique art form of hula and the beauty of Hawaiian culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Lovely hula hands
The hands performing the hula dance are beautiful and captivating.
Graceful as the birds in motion
The way the hands move during the hula dance is as elegant and fluid as the movements of birds in flight.
Gliding like the gulls over the ocean
The hands move in a smooth and effortless manner similar to the way seagulls glide over the ocean.
Telling of the rains in the valley
The hula dance performed by the lovely hands visually depicts the natural phenomenon of rainfall in the nearby valley.
And the swirling winds over the pali
The fluid movement of the hands during the hula dance also represents the swirling winds that blow over the nearby pali, or cliffs.
I can feel your soft caresses of your hula hand
As an observer, the dancer's gentle and thoughtful movements with their hands elicits an emotional response within me.
Your lovely hula hands
The hands that perform the hula dance are beautiful and create a mesmerizing visual display.
Every little move expresses so I'll understand
Each movement of the hands during the hula dance has a specific and meaningful purpose behind it, which helps me as an observer understand the narrative of the performance.
All the tender meaning.
The tender meaning behind the motions of the dancer's hands is eloquently expressed through the hula dance.
Of your hula hands
The hands of the dancer are the focal point during the performance and their movements hold significant meaning.
Fingertips that say aloha
Even the placement and movement of the dancer's fingertips during the hula dance can convey the spirit of aloha, or love and friendship.
Say to me again I love you
Through the language of the hula dance, the dancer's hands express a message of love and affection.
Lovely hula hands, kou lima nani e...
The beauty and grace of the dancer's hands is celebrated through the repetition of the phrase 'lovely hula hands,' followed by the Hawaiian phrase 'kou lima nani e,' meaning 'your beautiful hands.'
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!