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.
One Of These Days
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nothin' I could do would make you stay
But, my darlin', I'm not bitter
Over things that just can't be
For with you I lived a lifetime in a day
I'll remember every tender word you spoke, dear
Each tender touch, each time you looked my way
And the secrets that we shared will be my secret
I'm not sorry that I knew your kind of love
If I've sinned, then the price I'll gladly pay
To my lonely life you brought the sunshine
For with you I lived a lifetime in a day
I'm not sorry that I knew your kind of love
If I've sinned, then the price I'll gladly pay
To my lonely life you brought the sunshine
For with you I lived a lifetime in a day
The lyrics of Marty Robbins's song "One Of These Days" speak directly to the feelings of a man who knew he couldn't keep the woman he loved. He never expresses anger or resentment towards her for leaving him, but instead tells her that he cherishes the memories they made while they were together. He remembers every tender word that she spoke, every touch, and every time she looked his way. He also notes that the secrets that they shared will be his alone.
The lyrics suggest that the love he shared with this woman was intense and powerful, despite its brevity. The fact that he describes his time with her as a "lifetime in a day" highlights the intensity of their connection. He admits that he's not sorry that he knew this kind of love, and that he's willing to pay the price for any sins that he may have committed. Ultimately, despite the pain of losing her, he's grateful for the sunshine that she brought into his otherwise lonely life.
Line by Line Meaning
When I met you I knew I couldn't keep you
From the moment I met you, I understood that keeping you by my side wouldn't be possible.
And nothin' I could do would make you stay
No matter what, I couldn't change the fact that you were going to leave.
But, my darlin', I'm not bitter
Even though it hurts to see you go, I hold no resentment towards you.
Over things that just can't be
I accept that some things are beyond our control and cannot be changed.
For with you I lived a lifetime in a day
The time we spent together felt like a whole lifetime, even though it was just a day.
I'll remember every tender word you spoke, dear
I will always cherish the memories of the sweet things you said to me.
Each tender touch, each time you looked my way
All of the moments we shared, from your gentle touches to the way you looked at me, will stay with me.
And the secrets that we shared will be my secret
I will keep the secrets we shared between us, as a part of our special bond.
I'm not sorry that I knew your kind of love
I have no regrets about experiencing the love that you showed me, even if it was brief.
If I've sinned, then the price I'll gladly pay
Even if I made a mistake by loving you, I would still be willing to pay the price for that love.
To my lonely life you brought the sunshine
Your presence in my life brought light to my otherwise lonely existence.
For with you I lived a lifetime in a day
Once again, the time spent with you felt like a lifetime even though it was just a day.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MARION WORTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irene Mccann
Absolutely fabulous, he’s hard to beat.great song , and what a voice, the best of the best.
ThePossumboy89
WOW! Never heard this one!! Excellent song and superb singing from marty(as usual).Great video!!
Primrose Haran
this is absolutely brilliant love it love everything marty sings magic
trish stephens
Love listening Marty sing he has the most beautiful voice that is calming and helps take away the stresses of the day thank you Marty Robbins ❤❤❤❤
Hamlet Warjri
Wonderful song from Marty
delora cantrell
Thank you Tadashi san and tarquin for this great "Oldies but Goodies." Loved it.
Daniel Burns
this song went to #8 on the country charts in 1964!!!
Shirley lawlor
Just wonderful I keep finding all these old songs of Marty
Shirley Lawlor
Another new one for me ,, just wonderful,,
Richard Stubblefield
IMHO, the smoothest voice ever in country music. I had the pleasure of seeing him open for Merle Haggard many years ago at the Oakland Arena