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: “You can’t play nothing on modern trumpet that doesn’t 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.
Angela Mia
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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The heavens sent you down to me from up above.
Angela mia, you are my guiding star,
A sweet Madonna that I honor and I love.
You're like the sunshine in all its splendor
And I surrender each time you smile.
Angela mia, my prayers are answered now
And I am thankful for Angela mia.
In Louis Armstrong's song "Angela Mia," the lyrics beautifully portray a deep sense of admiration and love for a special person named Angela. The first verse establishes Angela as an angelic figure who has been sent down from the heavens above. This imagery suggests that Angela is a divine presence in the singer's life, bringing comfort, guidance, and love.
The second verse continues to elevate Angela's status by comparing her to a guiding star and a sweet Madonna. These metaphors emphasize Angela's importance in the singer's life, as well as his reverence for her. The singer holds Angela in such high regard that she becomes a source of inspiration and adoration, leading him along a path of love and devotion.
The third verse compares Angela to sunshine, symbolizing the radiant joy and happiness she brings into the singer's life. Her smile is depicted as a powerful force that captivates the singer's heart, leading him to surrender to her charm and affection. This imagery conveys the overwhelming impact Angela has on the singer, leaving him unable to resist the warmth and beauty she radiates.
The final verse expresses the singer's gratitude for the presence of Angela in his life. He sees her as an answered prayer, suggesting that the singer may have longed for someone like Angela and finally found her. This acknowledgment of gratitude emphasizes the significance Angela holds for the singer and his awareness of how she has positively transformed his life.
Overall, the lyrics of "Angela Mia" convey a deep sense of love, admiration, and gratitude towards Angela. Through rich imagery and metaphors, the song describes Angela as an angelic figure sent from above, a guiding star, and a source of love and inspiration. Ultimately, the lyrics highlight the singer's immense appreciation for Angela's presence and the positive impact she has had on his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Angela mia, you are my angel, dear,
My dear Angela, you are the embodiment of an angel, sent to me from the celestial realms.
The heavens sent you down to me from up above.
You were bestowed upon me by the divine forces above, descending from the heavens themselves.
Angela mia, you are my guiding star,
Angela, you are the shining beacon that guides me through life's journey.
A sweet Madonna that I honor and I love.
You are a gentle and loving Madonna-like figure whom I hold in high esteem and deeply cherish.
You're like the sunshine in all its splendor
You radiate a brilliance comparable to the magnificent splendor of sunlight.
And I surrender each time you smile.
Whenever you grace me with your smile, I willingly submit myself to its captivating power.
Angela mia, my prayers are answered now
My prayers have been answered by your presence, Angela mia.
And I am thankful for Angela mia.
I am filled with gratitude for having you, Angela mia, in my life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERNO RAPEE, LEW POLLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world