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.
My Elusive Dreams
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I followed you to Utah
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
I followed you to Alabam'
Things looked good in Birmingham
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
I know you're tired of following
For they're only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
I had your child in Memphis
You heard of work in Nashville
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
To a small farm in Nebraska
To a gold mine in Alaska
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
And now we've left Alaska
Because there was no gold mine
But this time only two of us move on
Now all we have is each other
And a little memory to cling to
And still you won't let me go on alone
I know you're tired of following
My elusive dreams and schemes
For they're only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
(Ahh, ahh, ahh, ahh)
For they're only fleeting things
My elusive dreams
The chorus of Marty Robbins's song "My Elusive Dreams" captures the theme of the whole song. The song talks about a couple who are constantly on the move, trying to find their dreams, and seemingly unable to settle down. The song's narrator has a partner who has followed him to different places, starting in Texas and moving to Utah, Alabama, Memphis, Nashville, Nebraska, and Alaska, looking for the couple's elusive dreams. However, they didn't find their dreams in any of those places. They finally moved on to Alaska where they finally give up looking for the gold mine and decide to settle down.
The lyrics discuss the challenges and struggles of seeking something that seems unattainable. The song's narrator recognizes that their dreams are hard to achieve and that they might never be realized. The song's chorus testifies that these dreams are fleeting and elusive. The singer acknowledges that their partner is tired of following him around, and yet, they choose to stay together, even though all that is left is the memory of the journey.
"My Elusive Dreams" is a beautiful, soulful country song that explores themes of struggle, love, and resilience. It reminds us of the importance of holding on to the people we love, even when our dreams seem unattainable.
Line by Line Meaning
I followed you to Texas
I went with you to Texas
I followed you to Utah
I went with you to Utah
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
We didn't find what we were looking for in those places, so we left
I followed you to Alabam'
I went with you to Alabama
Things looked good in Birmingham
We thought we had found what we were looking for in Birmingham
We didn't find it there, so we moved on
We didn't find what we were looking for in Birmingham, so we left
I know you're tired of following
I know you're tired of coming with me
My elusive dreams and schemes
The things I dream and plan for are hard to catch and make a reality
For they're only fleeting things
These dreams and plans don't stay for long
I had your child in Memphis
I gave birth to your child in Memphis
You heard of work in Nashville
You heard that there was work in Nashville
To a small farm in Nebraska
We went to a small farm in Nebraska
To a gold mine in Alaska
We went to a gold mine in Alaska
And now we've left Alaska
We have left Alaska now
Because there was no gold mine
We didn't find a gold mine there
But this time only two of us move on
This time, only the two of us left
Now all we have is each other
Now, all we have is each other
And a little memory to cling to
And a little memory to hold on to
And still you won't let me go on alone
And you still won't let me go alone
For they're only fleeting things
These dreams and plans don't stay for long
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Billy Sherrill, Claude Putman Jr., Curly Putman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
willy hansen
Perfect pitch all the time and extending the notes without fear to fail. Amazing voice.
Richard B. Johnson
+willy hansen Thanks so much for listening sure appreciate it
Primrose Haran
Marty simply stunning love this song and love marty the greatest singer ever
mrbobevans
Great Album!!! One of his best.
Delores Radford
Loved that voice. I grew up listening and singing along with Marty Robbins. Thanks for sharing.. Delores
Richard B. Johnson
Delores Thanks for listening . Sure appreciate it.
nape jack
For me most beautiful version, so touching!
Richard B. Johnson
@nape jack Thanks for listening Jake.
Warlita Ledesma
Love his style of singing ,
deeply expressed , his voice
is really expressed from the
bottom of his heart , so touching .
Tarquin45
Warlita Ledesma n