About The Song

“You Gave Me a Mountain” is a song written by country singer-songwriter Marty Robbins during the 1960s. It has been recorded by many artists, including Robbins himself, but the highest-charting version of the song was by Frankie Laine in 1969. Elvis Presley performed the song at his 1973 Honolulu concert Aloha from Hawaii and it was included in the subsequent live album Aloha from Hawaii: Via Satellite. The song’s lyrics describe a person who has faced many challenges in life, including the loss of his mother, the absence of his father’s love, and the departure of his wife and child. Despite these setbacks, the person remains determined to overcome the obstacles and continue living.

Video

Lyrics

Born in the heat of the desert
My mother died giving me life
Deprived of the love of a father
Blamed for the loss of his wife
You know Lord I’ve been in a prison
For something that I never done
It’s been one hill after another
I’ve climbed them all one by one

But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn’t just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time

My woman got tired of heartaches
Tired of the grief and the strife
So tired of working for nothing
Just tired of being my wife
She took my one ray of sunshine
She took my pride and my joy
She took my reason for living
She took my small baby boy

But this time, Lord you gave me a mountain
A mountain you know I may never climb
It isn’t just a hill any longer
You gave me a mountain this time