William Howard Taft Armstrong was born in Dayton, Tennessee, and grew up in… Read Full Bio ↴William Howard Taft Armstrong was born in Dayton, Tennessee, and grew up in LaFollette, Tennessee. As a young teenager he taught himself to play the fiddle, and joined a band led by Blind Roland Martin and his brother Carl. They toured the United States performing a wide range of music, from work songs and spirituals through popular Tin Pan Alley tunes and foreign language songs.

In 1929 he recorded with Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell. The following year he recorded in Knoxville for Vocalion Records, with his brother Roland Armstrong and Carl Martin, billed as the Tennessee Chocolate Drops. Adding guitarist Ted Bogan, the band toured as part of a medicine show and backed blues musicians such as Big Bill Broonzy and Memphis Minnie. As Martin, Bogan and Armstrong, they also performed at the 1933 World's Fair in Chicago. In 1934 Armstrong and Bogan recorded "State Street Rag" and "Ted's Stomp" on the Bluebird label, with Armstrong using the stage name "Louie Bluie" which he had been given by a fan.

Although Armstrong's early recordings were in the style of country rags or blues, this was not his sole repertoire as a performer. According to his sometime accompanist, author Elijah Wald, his early theme song was the Gershwin standard "Lady Be Good", and his group's repertoire included a wide range of hit songs of the period, including Italian, Polish, Mexican and country songs which he would play to meet the varying demands of his audience.

After serving in World War II, Armstrong moved to Detroit and worked in the auto industry until 1971. With a revival of interest in oldtime African American music, Martin, Bogan and Armstrong reunited to perform. The band recorded, performed at clubs and festivals and went on a tour of South America sponsored by the U.S. State Department. They played together until Martin's death in 1979.

Armstrong was the subject of two documentaries, Louie Bluie and Sweet Old Song. He continued to perform with a younger generation of musicians, and released his first solo album Louie Bluie on Blue Suit Records in 1995, earning him a W.C. Handy Award nomination.

Along with his music, Armstrong was an expert painter, designing album covers for his group and occasionally for other artists, including Elijah Wald. He also made necklaces from beads, pipe cleaners and "found objects." He spoke several languages, and was a masterful performer who could keep an audience entranced with his stories as well as with his music.

He died in Boston, aged 94, following a heart attack.

Lady Be Good
Howard Armstrong Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Listen to my tale of woe,
It's terribly sad but true,
All dressed up, no place to go
Each evening I'm awfully blue.

I must win some handsome guy
Can't go on like this,
I could blossom out I know,

With somebody just like you. So

Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Oh, lady, be good to me
I am so awfully misunderstood
So lady, be good to me
Oh, please have some pity
I'm all-alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,
So lady be good to me.

Oh, please have some pity
I'm all alone in this big city
I tell you I'm just a lonesome babe in the wood,

So lady be good to me.
Oh lady be good to me.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Howard Armstrong's song Lady Be Good are about a lonely woman who longs for a companion. The singer of the song is dressed up every evening but is unable to find somewhere to go. She longs for a handsome man to come and rescue her from her loneliness, and with someone like him, she knows she could blossom out. The plea of the song is to ask this hypothetical gentleman to be good to her and show her some kindness.

The song encapsulates the concept of loneliness and highlights the importance of companionship in one's life. It's a relatable message that touches on the universal human experience of wanting to connect with someone else.

One interesting fact about Lady Be Good is that it was popularized by Ella Fitzgerald, who recorded an iconic version of the song in 1947. Other famous versions of the song were recorded by Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, and Benny Goodman. The song is also featured in the classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film of the same name.

Line by Line Meaning

Listen to my tale of woe,
Please pay attention to my sad story,

It's terribly sad but true,
The events are heartbreaking but real,

All dressed up, no place to go
Despite dressing up, there's nowhere to be,

Each evening I'm awfully blue.
Every night I feel incredibly down

I must win some handsome guy
I need to find a good-looking man

Can't go on like this,
I can't keep living like this

I could blossom out I know,
I can flourish, I just need the chance

With somebody just like you. So
With someone like you, specifically

Oh, sweet and lovely lady, be good
Please be kind, oh charming woman

Oh, lady, be good to me
Please treat me well

I am so awfully misunderstood
People don't really understand me