Bing Crosby’s influence on popular culture and popular music is considerable, as from 1934 to 1954 he held a nearly unrivaled command of record sales, radio ratings and motion picture grosses. He is usually considered to be a member of popular music’s “holy trinity” of ultra-icons, alongside Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
Bing Crosby popularized singing with conversational ease, or ‘crooning’. His musical interpretations amalgamated rhythm and romance with scat singing, whistling, rhythmic improvisation and melodic paraphrasing as elements of a hotter, sexier sound than had been conceived before.
Crosby is also credited as being the major inspiration for most of the male singers that followed him, including the likes of Frank Sinatra, Perry Como and Dean Martin. Tony Bennett summed up Crosby’s impact, stating, “Bing created a culture. He contributed more to popular music than any other person - he moulded popular music. Every singer in the business has taken something from Crosby. Every male singer has a Bing Crosby idiosyncracy.”
Crosby’s recording of PlayWhite Christmas is recognized as the best-selling single in any music category with over 40 million copies sold.
In 1962, Crosby was the first person to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) was a trumpet player, singer, bandleader, and is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists in the history of jazz.
Armstrong was born and raised in New Orleans, a culturally diverse town with a unique musical mix of creole, ragtime, marching bands and blues. Although from an early age he was able to play music professionally, he never traveled far from New Orleans until 1922, when he went to Chicago to join his mentor, King Oliver. Oliver’s band played primitive jazz, a hotter style of ragtime, with looser rhythm and more improvisation, and Armstrong’s role was mostly backup. Slow to promote himself, he was eventually persuaded by his wife to leave Oliver, and In 1924 he went to New York to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. At the time, there were a few other artists using the rhythmic innovations of the New Orleans style, but none did it with the energy and brilliance of Armstrong, and he quickly became a sensation among New York musicians. Back in Chicago in 1925, he made his first recordings with his own group, Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, and these became not only popular hits but also models for the first generation of jazz musicians, trumpeter or otherwise.
Other hits followed through the twenties and thirties, as well as troubles: crooked managers, lip injuries, mob entanglements, failed big-band ventures. As jazz styles changed though, musical purists never lost any respect for him —although they were sometimes irritated by his hammy onstage persona. Around the late forties, with the help of a good manager, Armstrong’s business affairs finally stablilized and he began to be seen as an elder statesman of American popular entertainment, appearing in Hollywood movies, touring Asia and Europe, and dislodging The Beatles from the #1 position with “Hello, Dolly”. Today more people may know him as a singer (a good one), but as Miles Davis said: “You can’t play nothing on modern trumpet that doesn’t come from him.”
I Love You Samantha
Bing Crosby & Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll ever adore,
So forgive me, do,
If I say to you
What I've said so often before.
I love you, Samantha,
And my love will never die.
I'm a one-gal guy.
Together, Samantha,
We could ride a star and ride it high.
Remember, Samantha,
I'm a one-gal guy.
And if some distant day
You decided to say,
"Get along, go away, goodbye!"
Remember, Samantha,
I'm a one-gal guy.
Remember, Samantha,
I'm a one gal guy.
The lyrics of "I Love You Samantha" by Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong are a declaration of undying love for the girl named Samantha. The singer repeatedly tells Samantha that she is the only one he will ever adore and that his love for her will never die. The phrase "I'm a one-gal guy" is used twice, emphasizing the singer's commitment to Samantha and his loyalty to her. The lines "Together, Samantha, we could ride a star and ride it high" suggests a sense of adventure and the idea of taking on the world together.
However, the song ends on a somewhat cautionary note, with the singer noting that if Samantha were to ever decide to leave him, he would still be that "one-gal guy." The repetition of this phrase serves as a reminder to Samantha of the singer's unwavering devotion to her, even in the face of rejection or heartbreak.
Overall, "I Love You Samantha" is a sweet and heartfelt love song that communicates a deep and abiding affection for a particular person. The lyrics express a sense of commitment, devotion, and even a bit of playfulness, making it a classic love song that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Samantha, you're all I'll ever adore,
Samantha, you are the only person that I will ever love unconditionally.
So forgive me, do, If I say to you what I've said so often before.
Please forgive me for saying 'I love you' so often, but I cannot help but express my love to you.
I love you, Samantha, And my love will never die.
I love you Samantha and no matter what, my love for you will never stop.
Remember, Samantha, I'm a one-gal guy.
Please remember Samantha that I am a loyal person, and my love only belongs to you.
Together, Samantha, We could ride a star and ride it high.
With you, Samantha, we can achieve anything that seems impossible.
And if some distant day You decided to say Get along, go away, goodbye!
If someday you decide to leave me, let me know, and I will not stop you from going.
Remember, Samantha, I'm a one-gal guy.
Please remember, Samantha, that no one else has my heart and soul other than you.
Remember, Samantha, I'm a one gal guy.
I am truly sincere about being faithful to you, Samantha.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@samanthataylor4163
my name is samantha , my non biological grandad sang this to me from the day i was born until i was 15 and thats when i lost my best friend .listening to this song for the first time EVER, i need to watch the movie. im 36 years old old movies i love but never knew where this song came from until spirit guided me to type it in to youtube tonight at 22:22 . i love you kenneth xxxxxx grandad
@bobschwartz9895
And I love you too samantha,
Get to know Pops(nickname for Sachmo - also a nickname ) real name was Luis Armstrong. A big favorite of mine. Some life story too . He grew up in a Jewish household. If you know what Kol Nidre is he was first to play it on a trumpet.
I saw him when I was about 17 . His music and voice and soul opened my heart to music. He opened my chest lifted my heart out kissed it and set it back! Love love love.
@Bluejeans0701
Bing Crosby is just amazing. I wish he were with us now so he could witnes that his "White Christmas" has remained as one of the very best Christmas songs.
@mca1218
My favorite scene from "High Society." It tells a story in just over 3 minutes: Trumpet master and Greek chorus Armstrong acts as cupid for Crosby and Kelly- opening the song downstairs, panning up to Crosby upstairs as he effortlessly slips into his tuxedo, tie, and even replenishes cigarettes as he croons this Cole Porter jewel- and in the 3rd act we see the delicious Grace Kelly taking it all in (of course she's still in love with Crosby)- before it all ends with Armstrong getting the wonderful closing line "now we're getting warm!!" Lovely. Elegant. Bewitching. And smashing direction by Charles Walters.
@sanjulienne
Yep, everything about the scene (and especially the way it was shot) is terrific!
@christinatritch8789
I loved this movie and the songs, especially this one! 💕❤
@VenusianTaureau
Oooh, I looooooove this song and nobody could sung it better than Bing. Maybe Frank could've been a close second, but Bing makes it sound heavenly.
@Annalise24
God it makes you want to be called Samantha.....i could listen to Bing sing anything his voice is sooooo amazing!
@kisslime
Satchmo's intro is lovely!
@peterclifford7302
A lovely version and I also love the swinging version by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.