Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an inventive trumpet and cornet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence in jazz, shifting the focus of the music from collective improvisation to solo performance. With his instantly-recognizable gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also skilled at scat singing (vocalizing using sounds and syllables instead of actual lyrics).
Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extends well beyond jazz music, and by the end of his career in the 1960s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general. Armstrong was one of the first truly popular African-American entertainers to "cross over", whose skin-color was secondary to his music in an America that was severely racially divided. He rarely publicly politicized his race, often to the dismay of fellow African-Americans, but took a well-publicized stand for desegregation during the Little Rock Crisis. His artistry and personality allowed him socially acceptable access to the upper echelons of American society that were highly restricted for a black man.
Armstrong was born and brought up 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 didn't travel 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 rhythms and more improvisation, and Armstrong's role was mostly backing. Slow to promote himself, he was eventually persuaded by his wife Lil Hardin 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, trumpeters 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 films, touring Asia and Europe, and dislodging The Beatles from the number-one position with Hello Dolly". Today many people may know him as a singer (a good one), but as Miles Davis said: โYou canโt play nothing on modern trumpet that doesnโt come from him."
The 62-year-old Armstrong became the oldest act to top the US charts when "Hello Dolly" reached #1 in 1964. Four years later Satchmo also became the oldest artist to record a UK #1, when "What a Wonderful World" hit the top spot.
A Foggy Day
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of town were the people I knew
I had that feeling of self pity
What to do, what to do, what to do
The outlook was decidedly blue
But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
A foggy day, in London town
Had me low and had me down
I viewed the morning, with alarm
The British museum, had lost its charm
How long I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
Yes, for suddenly, I saw you there
And through the foggy London town
The sun was shining everywhere
A foggy day, in London town
Had me low and it had me down
I viewed the morning, with alarm
The British museum, had lost its charm
How long, how long I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town
The sun was shining everywhere
How long, I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town
The sun was shining everywhere
The song "A Foggy Day" by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald is a romantic song about a chance encounter on a foggy day in London. The singer in the song is feeling lost and defeated in the unfamiliar city. He is without friends or family and is overwhelmed by a sense of self-pity. The outlook for him is bleak, and he feels like there is nothing to do to turn his luck around. But as he walks around the foggy streets alone, something miraculous happens. Suddenly, he spots the person he's been waiting for. The sun comes out from behind the clouds, and everything changes. The once dreary and hopeless city is now filled with warmth and brightness. The lyrics are a poetic representation of hope, optimism, and the power of love to transform one's life.
The song was written by the famous brother duo George and Ira Gershwin in 1937, and it was originally featured in the musical "Damsel in Distress," starring Fred Astaire. The musical was a hit, and the song became one of the most famous and beloved jazz standards of all time. Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald's version of the song was recorded in 1957 and features their iconic vocal stylings.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a stranger in the city
I was unfamiliar with my surroundings and did not know anyone in the area.
Out of town were the people I knew
My friends and acquaintances were not around and I felt lonely.
I had that feeling of self pity
I was feeling sorry for myself and wallowing in negative thoughts.
What to do, what to do, what to do
I was unsure of how to improve my situation and felt stuck.
The outlook was decidedly blue
My future seemed bleak and unpromising.
But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
Despite my negative emotions, I continued to move forward and explore the city.
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
By chance, I had an unexpectedly fortunate experience on this particular day.
A foggy day, in London town
The weather was foggy in the city of London at the time.
Had me low and had me down
The weather contributed to my negative mood and outlook.
I viewed the morning, with alarm
I woke up feeling anxious and unsettled about the day ahead.
The British museum, had lost its charm
Even a beloved attraction such as the British Museum failed to interest or excite me.
How long I wondered
I questioned how much longer I could bear feeling so unhappy.
Could this thing last
I was concerned that my negative mood and circumstances would continue indefinitely.
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
Despite my doubts, I held onto hope that good things were still possible.
Yes, for suddenly, I saw you there
Unexpectedly, I saw someone who lifted my spirits and made me feel better.
And through the foggy London town
Even in spite of the foggy conditions, my mood had improved because of this encounter.
The sun was shining everywhere
My perception of the world had changed for the better, and everything seemed brighter and more positive.
How long, how long I wondered
Despite my newfound optimism, I still wondered how long it would last.
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
I continued to hope for the best and believed that anything was possible.
For suddenly, I saw you there
The person who had brought me joy and lifted my spirits appeared again in my life.
And through foggy London town
Even with the persistent fog, my mood remained bright and positive thanks to this person.
The sun was shining everywhere
My newfound sense of hope and joy pervaded every aspect of my life, making everything seem brighter and more beautiful.
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tuxguys
This came on the radio yesterday morning, and my entire life went into a relaxed, swingin' '2' and '4' for the next four-and-a-half minutes...
There's these two, and then there's everybody else...
...but, in this case, "everybody else" includes these four:
Oscar Peterson - piano
Ray Brown - double bass
Herb Ellis - guitar
Buddy Rich - drums
...and I look at that line-up, and I think, "My god, couldn't they find anybody that could play?"
The Gershwins were never better-represented than they are here.
@marcusloh933
I was a stranger in the city
Out of town were the people I knew
I had that feeling of self-pity
What to do, what to do, what to do
The outlook was decidedly blue
But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
A foggy day, in London town
Had me low, had me down
I viewed the morning, with much alarm
British Museum, had lost its charm
How long I wondered,
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles, hadn't past
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town,
The sun was shining everywhere
For suddenly, I saw you there
And through foggy London town,
The sun was shining everywhere
Everywhere
Everywhere
Everywhere
11-11-2020
@patrickstocks3576
I was a stranger in the city ๐
Out of town were the people I knew
I had that feeling of self-pity
What to do, what to do, what to do
The outlook was decidedly blue
But as I walked through the foggy ๐ streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day Iโve known
A foggy ๐ซ day in London Town
Had me low, had me down
I viewed the morning with much alarm
British Museum had lost its charm
How long I wondered
Could this thing last
But the age of miracles hadnโt past
For suddenly I saw ๐ you there
And through foggy ๐ซ London Town
The sun โ๏ธ was shining everywhere
For suddenly I saw ๐ you there
And through foggy ๐ซ London Town
The sun โ๏ธ was shining everywhere
Everywhere
Everywhere
Everywhere
@citizen1163
I live in London and remember the fogs..I was a VERY small child! I also saw Ella sing at a theatre in Slough, of all places, about 1987? Her voice sounded better live than on recordings, believe it or not.
@michaelsatchell8626
I can believe lt
@goingoutonmyshield2811
Cool
@jvx358
I'm 21 years old and by far not a boomer, however, one thing I know for sure is that I really like this song. There's such a serene and light heartened simplicity to it. It kind of makes you see, appreciate, and find contentment in the small and simple things in life even if everything has a bit of melancholy to it.
@Dameinthewild
You don't have to be a boomer to love good music. Good music is timeless and creates a feeling that defies generations. Gershwin was a brilliant songwriter. Ella and Louis were brilliant musicians. And now we have a classic forever. One of my faves.
@bobdillaber1195
Well said. ๐
@SweetJungThang
This is the Great American Songbook, dearie -- it waaaaay predates us Boomers. But your instincts are great as is our taste in music. I fell in love with this album too, back in the 70s.
@xXJeenzXx
Oh my days... when Ella joins in... swooning over a laydee. Too perfect.
@tuxguys
This came on the radio yesterday morning, and my entire life went into a relaxed, swingin' '2' and '4' for the next four-and-a-half minutes...
There's these two, and then there's everybody else...
...but, in this case, "everybody else" includes these four:
Oscar Peterson - piano
Ray Brown - double bass
Herb Ellis - guitar
Buddy Rich - drums
...and I look at that line-up, and I think, "My god, couldn't they find anybody that could play?"
The Gershwins were never better-represented than they are here.
@mhoracsek
Two really talents - they sing together in the heavens - and they remain between us for ever on the earth