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.
The Bend in the River
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is another bend I can't see
And the bend that keeps calling
Is the bend that keeps hiding from me.
Past the first hill on the desert
Is another hill I can't see
And the hill that keeps hiding
In the cottonwood by the river
A mourning dove calls his mate
He has true love to give her
But love for me must wait.
Till I've traveled every river
And each desert hill I have climbed
If I find love to my liking
I'll leave the river's bend far behind...
The lyrics in The Bend in the River by Marty Robbins express the idea that there is always something else out there waiting for us. The singer acknowledges that there is a bend in the river that he can't see, and that the one that keeps calling to him is the one that he can't find. He also acknowledges that there is a hill that keeps calling to him, but that it is hiding from him. It seems as though the singer is on a journey to find something, perhaps love or a greater purpose in life.
The mention of the mourning dove in the cottonwood tree by the river adds a sense of loneliness to the song. The dove has a mate, but the singer does not. He has love to give, but he must wait until he has traveled every river and climbed every hill. This suggests that the singer is determined to find what he is looking for, and that he will continue on his journey until he does. The final line of the song, "If I find love to my liking, I'll leave the river's bend far behind" suggests that the singer is not content to just settle down when he hasn't found what he's looking for.
Line by Line Meaning
Past the first bend in the river
I have gone beyond the first turn in the river
Is another bend I can't see
There is another river turn that I am unable to see
And the bend that keeps calling
However, the river turn that seemingly calls to me
Is the bend that keeps hiding from me.
Try as I might, I am unable to spot the turn that calls out to me
In the cottonwood by the river
Close to the river, there exists a cottonwood tree
A mourning dove calls his mate
A mournful dove is expressing its love for its partner
He has true love to give her
The dove has authentic love to bestow upon its partner
But love for me must wait.
Sadly, I am not in a position to experience love at this point in time
Till I've traveled every river
Until the day where I have journeyed through every river
And each desert hill I have climbed
And have climbed every single hill in the desert
If I find love to my liking
In case I eventually find love that satisfies me
I'll leave the river's bend far behind...
I shall leave the river turn that has eluded me behind, and focus on my newfound love
Contributed by Kaylee C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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!