Slim Whitman (January 20, 1923 in Tampa, Florida - June 19, 2013, Orange Pa… Read Full Bio ↴Slim Whitman (January 20, 1923 in Tampa, Florida - June 19, 2013, Orange Park, Florida) was an American country music singer and songwriter.

Self-taught on the guitar, Otis Whitman worked at a shipyard in Tampa while developing a musical career, eventually performing with a band known as the "Variety Rhythm Boys". Whitman's first big break came when agent Colonel Tom Parker heard him singing on the radio and offered to represent him. Signed with RCA Records, he was billed as the cowboy singer, "Slim Whitman" and released his first 45rpm single in 1948. He toured and sang at a variety of venues including on the popular radio show, the Louisiana Hayride.

He only became a full time musician in the early 1950s after he recorded a version of the Bob Nolan hit Love Song of the Waterfall that made it into the country music Top 10 chart. His next single, Indian Love Call, was even more successful, going to the No.2 position (and actually saving the world in the 1996 movie Mars Attacks! where it proves fatal to the invading Martians). A yodeler, Whitman avoided the "down on yer luck-buried in booze" songs, preferring instead to sing laid-back romantic melodies about simple life and love.

In 1955, in the United Kingdom, he had a No.1 hit on the pop music charts with Rose Marie. With eleven weeks at the top of the charts, the song set a record that lasted for thirty-six years. Soon after recording this big hit Whitman was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry and in 1957, along with other musical stars, he appeared in the film musical, Jamboree. Despite this type of exposure, he never achieved the level of stardom in the United States that he did in Britain where he had a number of hits during the 1950s and 60s. Throughout the early 1970s, he continued to record and was a guest on Wolfman Jack's musical television show, The Midnight Special. At the time, Whitman's recording efforts were yielding only minor hits and in 1974 he stopped making new records.

Among My Souvenirs
Slim Whitman Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's nothing left for me of days that used to be
There's just a memory among my souvenirs

Some letters tied in blue, a photograph or two
I see a rose from you among my souvenirs

A few more tokens rest within my treasure chest
And though they do their best to give me consolation

I count them all apart and as the teardrops start
I find a broken heart among my souvenirs

Overall Meaning

In “Among My Souvenirs,” Slim Whitman sings about the lingering memories of a past love. He reflects on the days gone by and how they are now reduced to mere souvenirs in his possession. The items he possesses serve as painful reminders of the love he has lost. The letters he received with kind and loving words, the photographs that captured happy moments spent with his love, and even a rose gifted to him, all bring tears to his eyes. These material possessions may have provided him with consolation in the past, but now they only bring heartache. Despite his attempt to count them as separate entities, they all represent the same thing- a broken heart. The teardrops that start to flow are a testament to this.

Throughout the song, the emphasis is not only on the memories that linger but also the pain that comes with them. His souvenirs serve as bittersweet reminders of his past love, and they have the power to bring him both consolation and grief.

This song has a relatable message, as many of us hold on to objects as reminders of people, places, or moments that we cherish. These objects may serve as a comfort during times of sadness, but they can also bring back feelings of loss and heartache.

Line by Line Meaning

There's nothing left for me of days that used to be
I don't have anything left from the past

There's just a memory among my souvenirs
All I have is a memory

Some letters tied in blue, a photograph or two
I only have a few letters and photographs

I see a rose from you among my souvenirs
There's a rose from you that I remember

A few more tokens rest within my treasure chest
I have a few more items in my collection

And though they do their best to give me consolation
Even though they try to make me feel better

I count them all apart and as the teardrops start
As I look at each item, I start to cry

I find a broken heart among my souvenirs
I realize that my heart is broken

I count them all apart and as the teardrops start
As I examine them one by one and begin to cry

I find a broken heart among my souvenirs
I come to the realization that my heart is shattered

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: EDGAR LESLIE, LAWRENCE WRIGHT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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