Ooh, I want a little girl
To call my own
Must be someone who's all alone
Just a little girl to fall in love with me, ooh, yeah

Want a little girl
She may not look like the picture in a storybook
But if she can cook
She'll suit me [Incomprehensible]

She don't have to wave her hair
Or dress in fancy clothes
Ooh, and I wouldn't even care
If she didn't wear second hose, ohh, yes

Want a little girl to love a lot
I'd give anything that I've got
For a little girl
Oh, to fall in love with me

Overall Meaning

Louis Armstrong's song I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues is all about finding the love of his life in the form of a little girl. The opening lines of the song are about finding a girl that he can call his own, a girl who is all alone, and who he can fall in love with. The desire for companionship, the need to have someone to love and share his life with – these are the themes that run through this song.

The lyrics go on to describe Louis's ideal girl. She may not be the most beautiful girl in the world, but if she can cook, that would be enough for him. He doesn't care about fancy clothes or fancy hair, but all he wants is for the girl to love him back. He's willing to give up everything that he has just to be with her.

The song is about love and companionship, but it's also about the struggles that come with being alone. Louis is a man who has the right to sing the blues because of the pain and hardship that he has faced in his life. However, he believes that he has the right to sing the blues because he knows that someday he will find the girl of his dreams.

Line by Line Meaning

Ooh, I want a little girl
I desire a particular type of woman to be in a relationship with

To call my own
I want to have an exclusive relationship with this woman

Must be someone who's all alone
She should not be in a relationship already

Just a little girl to fall in love with me, ooh, yeah
I want her to fall in love with me too, no matter how young she may seem

Want a little girl
I want a specific type of woman

She may not look like the picture in a storybook
I don't care if she doesn't look perfect

But if she can cook
However, it is important that she knows how to cook

She'll suit me [Incomprehensible]
If she can cook, then she'll be perfect for me

She don't have to wave her hair
I don't care if she doesn't have perfect hair

Or dress in fancy clothes
I don't need her to dress fancy

Ooh, and I wouldn't even care
I really wouldn't care

If she didn't wear second hose, ohh, yes
I don't need her to wear unnecessary lingerie

Want a little girl to love a lot
I want to love and cherish this woman

I'd give anything that I've got
I am willing to sacrifice anything for this woman

For a little girl
For a specific type of woman

Oh, to fall in love with me
To reciprocate my love for her

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, S.A. MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, TED KOEHLER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@VictoriaAlfredSmythe

21w↑2

us humans are amazing. first to make the music & then to invent a way to save it. almost 100 years old recording

@VictoriaAlfredSmythe

21w↑1

thank you from manhattan

@francis4291

3y↑2

Absolutely nostalgic. His trumpet seems to carry with it all the history of jazz.

@steveheywood9428

5y↑6

Absolutely amazing digital copy of this remarkable number...you can almost hear the musicians breathe it is so clear. 👍

@Django44

10y↑14

WOW! Such a clear re-master! Sounds like he's playing in my kitchen.

Once again Louis makes a sad song swing, just as on his 1929 version of "After You've Gone".