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.
Can't Help Falling in Love
Slim Whitman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
only fools rush in.
But I can't help
falling in love with you.
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
If I can't help
Like a river flows,
surely to the sea;
darling so it goes,
some things are meant to be.
Take my hand;
take my whole life, too.
For I can't help,
falling in love with you.
Like a river flows,
surely to the sea;
darling so it goes,
some things are meant to be.
Take my hand;
take my whole life, too.
For I can't help,
falling in love with you.
Yes I can't help
falling in love with you.
The song 'Can't Help Falling in Love' by Slim Whitman is a beautiful love song with a strong message. The opening line is a quote from a wise man that says only fools rush in, but in the very next line, the singer admits that he can't help but fall in love with his partner. The line speaks to the idea that sometimes we can't help our feelings no matter how wise or logical we try to be. The second verse presents a struggle where the singer wonders if staying and falling in love would be considered a sin. This line speaks to the societal and cultural pressures that can exist around love and falling in love, especially if the relationship is frowned upon by the society or family.
The chorus of the song uses a beautiful metaphor where the river flowing to the sea represents how certain things are just meant to be in life, such as the love that the singer feels for his partner. The singer then takes his partner's hand and offers his whole life, indicating that his love for her is deep and never-ending. In the last lines, Slim Whitman says "I can't help falling in love with you" again, as if to stress on the idea that love can't be controlled, it just is.
Line by Line Meaning
Wise man say
As the saying goes
only fools rush in.
It's foolish to act impulsively in matters of the heart.
But I can't help
Despite the wise words, I can't stop
falling in love with you.
falling deeply in love with you.
Shall I stay?
Should I remain here with you?
Would it be a sin?
Is it morally wrong?
If I can't help
If I can't control myself
falling in love with you.
from falling deeply in love with you.
Like a river flows,
Like the natural flow of a river
surely to the sea;
inevitably heading towards the ocean.
darling so it goes,
that's just how life is, my beloved.
some things are meant to be.
There are some things that are fated to happen.
Take my hand;
Please hold my hand
take my whole life, too.
Include me in your life fully.
For I can't help,
Because I am powerless to stop myself
falling in love with you.
from falling deeply in love with you.
Yes I can't help
I truly can't help
falling in love with you.
from falling deeply in love with you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, George Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alled
Just as good as Elvis, maybe even better, but maybe not, I don't know, but I think so, not much between them, both different and perfect in their own ways.