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.
Meet Me Tonight In Laredo
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She met him one night in Laredo just a wild comanchero they say
They told her that he'd been an outlaw and she'd have to send him away
They warned her of toil and of hardships and a life filled with heartaches and tears
Then one day he sent her a message the one she'd been waiting to hear
Meet me tonight in Laredo wait till the moon's hanging low
Meet me tonight in Laredo we'll soon be in old Mexico
The night as they slipped through the darkness
To the trail where their horses were tied
He whispered a prayer for tomorrow that she would be safe by his side
She smiled as they climbed in the saddle and as swift as a wild prairie wind
They rode to the Madre Sierra repeating these words once again
Meet me tonight in Laredo wait till the moon's hanging low
Meet me tonight in Laredo we'll soon be in old Mexico.
Now in their own hacienda in the glow of a soft candle light
The hands that once held a sixgun are holding their baby tonight
She echoes his God will go with us and at night when the moon's hanging low
She smiles as she fondly remembers the words he had said long ago
Meet me tonight in Laredo wait till the moon's hanging low
Meet me tonight in Laredo we'll soon be in old Mexico
The lyrics of "Meet Me Tonight in Laredo" by Marty Robbins tell the story of two forbidden lovers, one of whom is an outlaw known as the "Comanchero." The woman meets the man one night in Laredo, and despite warnings from others of the difficulties their life would entail, they begin a secret romance. Eventually, the man sends her a message asking her to meet him in Laredo so they can escape to Mexico together. The two of them sneak out in the middle of the night, and as they ride, they repeat the lyrics "Meet me tonight in Laredo, wait till the moon's hanging low. Meet me tonight in Laredo, we'll soon be in old Mexico."
The lyrics continue to describe how the couple is able to build a life together in Mexico, with the man giving up his life as an outlaw and becoming a responsible father. As they hold their baby, the woman remembers the words he had said to her years ago. The story is one of passion and risk, but ultimately shows that love can conquer all odds.
The song's narrative structure is typical of a classic storytelling ballad, where a tale of adventure, romance, or hardship is told through song. Marty Robbins was known for his ability to convey western tales of love and loss, and "Meet Me Tonight in Laredo" is no exception to this. The lyrics and melody of the song are simple but effective, with a catchy chorus that allows the listener to hum along.
Line by Line Meaning
She met him one night in Laredo just a wild comanchero they say
They say that she met a wild outlaw called Comanchero in Laredo
They told her that he'd been an outlaw and she'd have to send him away
They warned her that he was an outlaw and she ought to send him away
They warned her of toil and of hardships and a life filled with heartaches and tears
They cautioned her about the hardships and difficulties that come with a life of an outlaw
Then one day he sent her a message the one she'd been waiting to hear
He sent her a message she had been anxiously anticipating
Meet me tonight in Laredo wait till the moon's hanging low
He requested to meet her that same night in Laredo when the moon is low
Meet me tonight in Laredo we'll soon be in old Mexico
He wanted them to meet in Laredo so they could soon be in old Mexico
The night as they slipped through the darkness to the trail where their horses were tied
They left undetected in the darkness and arrived at the trail where their horses were waiting
He whispered a prayer for tomorrow that she would be safe by his side
He whispered a prayer for their safety and wished to be with her tomorrow
She smiled as they climbed in the saddle and as swift as a wild prairie wind
She smiled as they climbed on their horses and took off like the wind
They rode to the Madre Sierra repeating these words once again
They headed towards Madre Sierra while repeating the same words as before
Now in their own hacienda in the glow of a soft candle light
They're in their own hacienda, illuminating softly by candlelight
The hands that once held a sixgun are holding their baby tonight
The hands that once held a gun are now holding their baby tonight
She echoes his God will go with us and at night when the moon's hanging low
She remembers fondly how he said their God will protect them, especially when the moon is low
She smiles as she fondly remembers the words he had said long ago
She reminisces and smiles at the words he told her a long time ago
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MABEL CORDLE, RONNY ROBBINS
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!