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.
Pain and Misery
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was still too dark to see
I could tell that baby wasn't sleepin' next to me
She's gone and left me
Where to, I guess I'll never know
I only know her leavin's brought pain and misery to my soul
Well a note was on the pillow
I tried to read her writin' but I couldn't make it out
The tears were fallin'
Too fast for me to even read
Nobody knows my sorrow, nobody knows my misery
My friends told me she'd leave me
But I said they wasn't right
She'd give no word of warnin' she'd be leavin' in the night
Can't understand her
What made my baby want to go
I didn't hear her leavin' she didn't even close the door
Well, if she come home this mornin'
I'd jump amd shout with glee
She can't mean more to someone else than what she means to me
I love that woman,
I got to have her all the time
I got to have her near me to ease this misery on my mind
The lyrics to Marty Robbins’s song “Pain and Misery” tell a story about a man who comes home and realizes that his wife has left him. He wakes up to a dark morning and immediately knows something is wrong because his wife isn't sleeping next to him. He discovers a note on the pillow that confirms his suspicion that she is gone. He talks about the pain and misery that her leaving has caused him, and he struggles to come to terms with it. At times, he feels angry with her and wonders why she would leave him without warning. He also expresses the depth of his feelings for her and his desire to have her back in his life.
The lyrics to this song are emotional and raw, and they express a universal theme of heartbreak that many people can relate to. The song’s structure is simple, with a repeating melody that underscores the man’s feelings of pain and loss. The lyrics are straightforward, allowing the listener to focus on the emotion behind them.
Line by Line Meaning
Well when I come home this morning
Upon returning home in the early morning, it was still too dark to see.
Was still too dark to see
There was not enough light to see my surroundings clearly.
I could tell that baby wasn't sleepin' next to me
It became apparent that my significant other was not sleeping next to me.
She's gone and left me
My significant other has left me.
Where to, I guess I'll never know
I am uncertain of her current location.
I only know her leavin's brought pain and misery to my soul
The act of her departure has caused me great emotional anguish and suffering.
Well a note was on the pillow
There was a message left on the pillow.
She's gone without a doubt
It is certain she has left.
I tried to read her writin' but I couldn't make it out
I made an attempt to read the message, but I could not decipher the handwriting.
The tears were fallin'
I was crying.
Too fast for me to even read
The tears were falling too quickly for me to read the note.
Nobody knows my sorrow, nobody knows my misery
I am experiencing great sadness and suffering and have kept it to myself.
My friends told me she'd leave me
My friends warned me that my significant other would depart.
But I said they wasn't right
I believed my friends were wrong in their prediction.
She'd give no word of warnin' she'd be leavin' in the night
She did not provide a warning of her departure in the nighttime hours.
Can't understand her
I do not comprehend the reason for her leaving.
What made my baby want to go
I am unsure why my significant other felt the need to depart.
I didn't hear her leavin' she didn't even close the door
Her exit was so silent that I did not even hear her close the door.
Well, if she come home this mornin'
If my significant other were to return in the morning,
I'd jump and shout with glee
I would be filled with immense happiness and excitement.
She can't mean more to someone else than what she means to me
I firmly believe that she is of greater importance to me than anyone else.
I love that woman,
I have strong feelings of love towards my significant other.
I got to have her all the time
I desire to spend all my time with her.
I got to have her near me to ease this misery on my mind
I believe her presence will help alleviate the emotional pain I am experiencing.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Marty 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!