It has been recorded by many artists, including Robbins himself, but the highest-charting version of the song was by Frankie Laine in 1969.
In Laine's autobiography That Lucky Old Son, he stated that, "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.
"[1] The lyrics to the song detail a series of challenges that the singer has endured in his life, including the death of his mother while giving birth to him, Deprived of the love of his father was like time spent in prison "for something that I never done" and the singer's wife taking their child and leaving.
That same month, the song spent two weeks atop the Billboard Easy Listening chart.
Other artists who have recorded versions of "You Gave Me a Mountain" or performed it live include Elvis Presley, Brendan Bowyer, Don McLean, Eddy Arnold, Ray Price, Jerry Vale, Margie Singleton, Gene Watson, Jim Nabors, Dean Martin and Christer Sjögren.