Frankie Laine performed a heartfelt rendition of “You Gave Me A Mountain.”
Francesco Paolo LoVecchio professionally known as Frankie Laine was a popular American country artist in the 1930s. He is also referred to as “Mr. Rhythm,” “Old Leather Lungs,” and “Mr. Steel Tonsils.” His best-known songs were “That’s My Desire,” “That Lucky Old Sun,” “Mule Train,” “Jezebel,” “You Gave Me A Mountain,” and many others.
Laine was one of the biggest hitmakers during his era. He has charted over 70 hit singles, 21 gold records, and sales for over 10 million units worldwide. He became the first artist who rose during the World War II era. Years later, a music critic shared something about Laine’s legacy,
“You can’t categorize him. He’s one of those singers that’s not in one track. And yet and still I think that his records had more excitement and life into it. And I think that was his big selling point, that he was so full of energy. You know when you hear his records it was dynamite energy.”
“You Gave Me A Mountain”
This track is also referred to as “Lord, You Gave Me A Mountain” and it was written by a popular Country artist Marty Robbins. The song has been recorded by numerous singers, including Robbins himself. The most notable version that has been published was Laine’s.
Frankie Laine released his own rendition in 1969 as a single from his album, You Gave Me a Mountain. Upon the release of the song, it immediately entered into country charts and peaked number 24 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In Laine’s biography, he shared that Robbins tried to bring this track to his attention before he finally finished it.
For You
“Marty Robbins once told me that he’d been trying to bring ‘You Gave Me a Mountain’ to my attention for several years before he finally succeeded in November 1968. I wish he’d been quicker about it. There were many times in the mid-60s when I longed for a song of its quality.”
Lyrics Breakdown
But this time you gave me a mountain
A mountain I may never climb
It isn’t a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time
“You Gave Me A Mountain,” tells about the series of the narrator’s life story. He included the heartbreaking stories he endured, including the death of his mother, deprived love of his father, and the time his wife left him.
He described the struggles he faced but still looks at the brighter side of life. He included that God gave him a mountain for a new beginning. Therefore, the moral lesson of this song is to be strong in whatever situation we have in life. Remember, life is not all about happiness but it also requires sacrifices.
This track symbolizes that God will always make a way for us to be saved from all the things that harm us.
