Arden became a big band singer in the 1940s, singing with Al Trace, Joe Reichman, Ray Bloch and Shep Fields. She started recording as a soloist in 1946 for the minor National Records company, and signed her first solo recording contract with a major record label, Columbia Records, in 1949, where she had several low-charting hits. Charting hits on the Columbia Records label include "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (which reached #7 on the Billboard charts), "Too Young" (which reached #15), "Kiss of Fire" (which reached #14) and "I'm Yours" (which reached #24).
In the mid-1950s she moved to Decca Records. She also briefly recorded for RCA Victor Records.
Her biggest selling record (her only million-seller) was "Padre" in 1958.
As of 2006, Arden lives in Florida (near her brother and sometimes co-performer Jan Arden, born Frank Ardizzone) and still performs occasionally.
My Man
Toni Arden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But there's one thing that I've got
It's my man
Cold and wet, tired you bet
But all that I soon forget
With my man
He's not much for looks
And no hero out of books
Two or three girls has he
That he likes as well as me
But I love him!
I don't know why I should
He isn't good, he isn't true
He beats me too
What can I do?
Oh, my man I love him so
He'll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don't care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright, all right
What's the difference if I say
I'll go away, When I know
I'll come back on my knees some day?
For whatever my man is
I am his forever more
Oh, my man I love him
Sometimes I say
If I could just get away
With my man
He'd go straight sure as fate
For it never is too late
For a man
I just like to dream
Of a cottage by a stream
With my man
Where a few flowers grew
And perhaps a kid or two
Like my man
And then my eyes get wet
I most forget till he gets hot
And tells me not to talk such rot
Oh, my man I love him so
He'll never know
All my life is just despair
But I don't care
When he takes me in his arms
The world is bright, all right
What's the difference if I say
I'll go away, When I know
I'll come back on my knees some day?
For what ever my man is
I am his forever more
The lyrics to Toni Arden's "My Man" express a complex and at times conflicting set of emotions about a troubled relationship. The singer acknowledges that her man has many flaws - he is not handsome, he is unfaithful, and he even physically abuses her - yet she remains devoted to him. She has a vivid imagination and dreams of a better life with him, but ultimately she is resigned to her fate, knowing that she will always return to him no matter what.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer stating that her relationship with her man "has cost me a lot." Despite this, though, she insists that she has "got" something that is worth everything - her love for him. The second verse goes on to describe the physical toll that being with her man takes on her, but how she is able to forget all of that when she is with him. The third verse acknowledges his faults and the presence of other women in his life, but the chorus states that none of that matters to her - she loves him no matter what.
The fourth verse is perhaps the most shocking, as the singer admits that her man is physically abusive towards her. She asks "what can I do?" but then quickly dismisses the question and continues to profess her love for him. The fifth and final verse reveals her dreams of a better life with him, but also acknowledges that they will likely never come to fruition. Despite this, though, she remains devoted to him and asserts that "whatever my man is, I am his forever more."
Overall, the song is a complex exploration of a troubled, codependent relationship, and the emotional turmoil that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
It's cost me a lot
Having my man has come at great expense to me
But there's one thing that I've got
Despite the cost, I have my man to love
It's my man
He is the one thing in my life that makes it all worthwhile
Cold and wet, tired you bet
I may be physically exhausted and uncomfortable, but when I am with my man, it all fades away
But all that I soon forget
My man is able to make me forget about my troubles and worries
With my man
Being with him is all that matters
He's not much for looks
My man may not be conventionally attractive
And no hero out of books
He is not the type of man found in romantic novels
Is my man
But he is still my man, and I love him
Two or three girls has he
My man may have other women in his life
That he likes as well as me
He shows affection to them as he does to me
But I love him!
Despite this, I still love him wholeheartedly
I don't know why I should
I cannot explain why I love him, but I do
He isn't good, he isn't true
He is not a good man and may not be faithful to me
He beats me too
He is physically abusive towards me
What can I do?
Despite all of this, I cannot help but stay with him
Oh, my man I love him so
Despite his flaws, I love him unconditionally
He'll never know
He is unaware of the depth of my feelings for him
All my life is just despair
My life is full of sadness and hardship
But I don't care
Despite this, I do not care as long as I have my man
When he takes me in his arms
Being held by him is a moment of pure joy for me
The world is bright, all right
When I am with him, everything seems brighter and happier
What's the difference if I say
It does not matter if I say I will leave him
I'll go away, When I know I'll come back on my knees some day?
I may threaten to leave, but I know I will eventually return to him
For whatever my man is I am his forever more
No matter what my man does or who he may be with, I will always be devoted to him
Sometimes I say
At times, I entertain the idea of leaving him
If I could just get away
If I had the opportunity to leave him
With my man
But even then, I would still want to be with him
He'd go straight sure as fate
I have confidence that if we left, he would change his ways
For it never is too late
It is never too late for him to turn his life around
For a man
As he is a man, there is always hope for change
I just like to dream
As I am not able to leave, I settle for daydreaming instead
Of a cottage by a stream
In this dream, I imagine living in a peaceful cottage by the water
Where a few flowers grew
In this idyllic setting, there are even a few flowers growing
And perhaps a kid or two
I also envision having children with my man in this dream
Like my man
These children would be just like him
And then my eyes get wet
But this dream always ends in sadness for me
I most forget till he gets hot
I am able to forget my troubles until my man becomes angry or abusive again
And tells me not to talk such rot
At this point, he chastises me and makes me feel foolish for dreaming
Oh, my man I love him
Despite all of this, I still love him with all my heart
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing
Written by: JOSE RAMON GARCIA FLOREZ, MARELLA CAYRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind