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.
In the Valley of the Moon
Slim Whitman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the valley of the moon
And I lost my heart by the roses
In the valley of the moon
We kissed and said goodbye
She cried and so did I
Now do you wonder why
But we'll meet again by the roses
In the valley of the moon
We kissed and said goodbye
She cried and so did I
Now do you wonder why
I'm lonely
But we'll meet again by the roses
In the valley of the moon
In Slim Whitman's song "In the Valley of the Moon," the lyrics tell a story of lost love and the hope for a future reunion. The opening lines describe a romantic meeting place in the "valley of the moon," where the singer and their love interest used to meet by the roses. It is clear that the singer has a deep emotional connection to this place, as they "lost [their] heart" there. However, the following lines reveal that the relationship ended abruptly, as both parties said goodbye, cried, and parted ways. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer expressing confidence that they will see their lover again in the same spot in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Down the lane we'd meet by the roses
We used to meet up by the roses on the lane
In the valley of the moon
This place was called the valley of the moon
And I lost my heart by the roses
I fell deeply in love when we met by the roses
We kissed and said goodbye
We shared a kiss and parted ways
She cried and so did I
We were both sad to say goodbye
Now do you wonder why
It's not hard to understand
I'm lonely
I feel alone without her
But we'll meet again by the roses
We have plans to meet again by the roses
In the valley of the moon
Once again, we'll be in the valley of the moon
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Charles Tobias, Joseph Burke
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
betty stephenson
such a beautiful song just love his singing thanks freddy