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.
Tonight Carmen
Marty Robbins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tonight I am aching, my body is shaking
Tonight Carmen's coming back home
Tonight there'll be no room for tears in my bedroom
Tonight Carmen's coming back home.
Tonight as I stand here I notice my hand here
Is trembling as never before
My pride will rush outside
The moment she walks through the door.
The lips that have kissed her,
That's loved her and missed her
Are lips that have cursed her at night
In anguish and torment, I've cursed as the night went
From darkness till dawn's golden light
I thought of just taking these two hands and breaking
The body I'm waiting to touch
I find while I'm waiting, there's no time for hating
While anticipating, the woman I've wanted so much.
I've placed pretty flowers to brighten the hours
I put brand new sheets on the bed
I'm nervous, I'm trembling, recalling remembering
The way that she tosses her head.
I've given much thought to the fact that I ought to
Have more control over my life
How can I fight it, how can I deny it,
There's no way to hide it
The love that I have for my wife.
Carmen..Carmen...Carmen
The lyrics to Marty Robbins's song Tonight Carmen tell the story of a man whose wife, Carmen, is returning home after an absence. The man is clearly deeply in love with Carmen, but he also feels a range of conflicting emotions towards her. The lyrics are full of complex reflections on love, desire, pride, and regret. The man is clearly anxious and nervous about Carmen's return, which is reflected in the trembling of his hands and the tension in his voice.
Throughout the song, the man struggles to reconcile his love for Carmen with his feelings of anger and betrayal. He reveals that he has cursed her in the past, but he also can't resist the anticipation of her arrival. He prepares their bedroom with fresh flowers and new sheets, clearly hoping to recapture some of the passion they once had. In the end, the man realizes that he cannot deny the love he feels for Carmen, even in the face of their complicated history.
Overall, Tonight Carmen is a deeply emotional and introspective song that explores the complexities of love and desire. It is a testament to Marty Robbins's skill as a songwriter that he is able to convey such a rich range of emotions in just a few short verses.
Line by Line Meaning
Carmen... Carmen... Carmen...
The singer repeatedly says Carmen's name to express his obsession and anticipation for her return.
Tonight I am aching, my body is shaking
The singer is physically and emotionally overwhelmed with excitement for Carmen's return.
Tonight Carmen's coming back home
The singer eagerly awaits the return of his wife, Carmen.
Tonight there'll be no room for tears in my bedroom
The singer is so delighted to be reunited with Carmen that he expects nothing but happiness and passion tonight.
Tonight as I stand here I notice my hand here
The singer is so nervous and anxious that he is physically trembling.
Is trembling as never before
The singer's hand is shaking with unprecedented intensity.
My feelings I can't hide, resistance has all died
The singer is unable to hide his intense love and desire for Carmen, and all inhibitions have faded away.
My pride will rush outside
The singer's pride and ego will be thrown aside when he finally sees Carmen.
The moment she walks through the door.
The singer is eagerly awaiting Carmen's arrival, and can't wait to see her.
The lips that have kissed her, That's loved her and missed her
The singer has a complex relationship with Carmen and has both loved and hated her at different times.
Are lips that have cursed her at night
The singer has had moments of intense anger and frustration with Carmen, even though he loves her deeply.
In anguish and torment, I've cursed as the night went, From darkness till dawn's golden light
The singer has struggled with his emotions throughout the night, and cursed Carmen as the hours passed.
I thought of just taking these two hands and breaking, The body I'm waiting to touch
The singer is overwhelmed with desire for Carmen and has struggled to control his intense physical urges for her.
I find while I'm waiting, there's no time for hating
While waiting for Carmen's return, the singer has realized that he loves her too much to hold onto any anger or resentment he may feel towards her.
While anticipating, the woman I've wanted so much.
The singer has longed for Carmen's return, and is eagerly anticipating being with her again.
I've placed pretty flowers to brighten the hours, I put brand new sheets on the bed
The singer has prepared for Carmen's return by making the house and bedroom look beautiful to set the mood for their reunion.
I'm nervous, I'm trembling, recalling remembering, The way that she tosses her head.
The singer is so anxious about Carmen's return that he can vividly recall and picture her mannerisms and movements in his mind.
I've given much thought to the fact that I ought to, Have more control over my life
The singer has recognized that he needs to have more control and stability in his life, but his love for Carmen is too strong.
How can I fight it, how can I deny it, There's no way to hide it, The love that I have for my wife.
The singer realizes that no matter how much he may try to rationalize or fight it, he loves Carmen deeply and can't hide his emotions for her.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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!