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.
Just Out of Reach
Slim Whitman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of my two open arms
Love that runs away from me
Dreams that just won't let me be
Blues that keep on botherin' me
Chains that just won't set me free
And all your charms
Just out of reach
Of my two empty arms
Each night in dreams I see your face
Memories time can not erase
Then I awake an' find you gone
I'm so blue and all alone
So far away from you
And all your charms
Just out of reach
Of my two open arms
That lonesome feelin' all the time
Knowin' you cannot be mine
Dreams that hurt me in my sleep
Vows that we could never keep
So far away from you
And all your charms
Just out of reach
Of my two open arms
Just out of reach
Of my two open arms
In Slim Whitman's song "Just Out of Reach," the singer expresses the heartache and longing he feels for someone he loves but can't have. His two open arms are unable to reach the person he desires as love keeps running away from him. The dreams that he has are so vivid that he can feel the touch of the person he loves, but when he wakes up, he is left alone with his memories. The singer is plagued by the blues, and chains that keep holding him back, leaving him unable to find peace.
The lyrics show that he is so far away from his love, but he can't let go of the memories they had. He is haunted by the broken vows they made and the dreams they couldn't fulfill. He feels the pain of not being able to have the one thing he desires the most. The song highlights the helplessness and vulnerability of being in love with someone who doesn't feel the same way.
In conclusion, the song's lyrics resonate with anyone who has experienced rejection, heartbreak, and unrequited love. The song portrays the universal human experience of loving and losing, and the ache of knowing that someone you love is just out of reach.
Line by Line Meaning
Just out of reach
The singer cannot attain what they desire.
Of my two open arms
The singer is reaching out figuratively to what they desire.
Love that runs away from me
The singer is unable to hold onto their love.
Dreams that just won't let me be
The artist cannot escape their longing desires.
Blues that keep on botherin' me
The artist is constantly feeling sad and down.
Chains that just won't set me free
The singer is trapped by their circumstances.
Too far away from you
The singer is at a physical distance away from what they truly desire.
And all your charms
The artist is drawn to the qualities that the receiver possesses.
Each night in dreams I see your face
The artist dreams of their loved one and longs to be reunited.
Memories time can not erase
The artist has a lifetime of memories attached to this person that will never go away.
Then I awake an' find you gone
The singer is disappointed when they realize they cannot be with their loved one in reality.
I'm so blue and all alone
The artist is sad and lonely.
That lonesome feelin' all the time
The singer feels lonely and empty constantly.
Knowin' you cannot be mine
The singer knows that they cannot be with their loved one.
Dreams that hurt me in my sleep
The singer's subconscious thoughts cause them pain and heartache.
Vows that we could never keep
The artist made promises that they were unable to fulfill.
Just out of reach
The artist is still unable to attain what they deeply desire.
Of my two open arms
The singer is still reaching out to what they desire, but physically cannot hold it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Virgil Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Quiet Man Scott
Wow 70 years on this planet,and I have yet to find a greater singer than slim
I always shed a tear or two when I hear the golden voice of slim
Sleep in peace slim
Janyce Janota
What a voice, there is none to compare......
Janyce Janota
The voice of an Angel......
paacer
Absolutely fabulous singing, one of Slim's best .
Pauline Vanderwoning
Oh god I’ve loved this magnificent man from 18 years old to 71 years which I am now, god bless you slim, your voice just hits my hart, ❤️💕
foley muzieklover
Wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what an fantastic recording David, i also know this from Jim Reeves, but this one is a topper, thanks for sharing , regards Foley.
Ruth Boykin
That voice
I Agree; it could not be sung better! Thank you for having it David!
Inkt Vis
Stunning voice
Zaroff's Trophy Room
always excellent. Brenda Lee also nails it, with a slightly different tempo.
Malcolm Jones
my favorite artist of all time God bless slim