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.
Angelina
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just because she is so nice
Angelina
Angelina
The waitress at the pizzeria
I eat zuppa and minestrone
Just to be with her alone
Angelina
The waitress at the pizzeria
Ti voglio bene
Angelina I adore you
Ti voglio bene
Angelina I live for you
E un passione
You have set my heart on fire
But Angelina
Never listens to my song
I eat antipasta twice
Just because she is so nice
Angelina
Angelina
The waitress at the pizzeria
If she'll be a my cara mia
Then I'll join in matrimony
With a girl who serves spumoni
And Angelina will be mine
C'e' la luna 'n mezzo 'o mare
Mamma mia m'ho maritari
Figghia mia a cu t' ho dare
Mamma mia pensaci tu
S'iddu nun e' lu musicante
Iddu vai, iddu vene
Sempe lu strumento a mano tene
Se ci piglia 'a fantasia
Lu strumento figlia mia
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Zooma zooma, zooma zooma
Zooma baccala'
C'e' la luna in miezz'o mare
Mamma mia m' ho maritari
Figlia mia a cu t' ho dare
Mamma mia pensaci tu
Se ti piglia lu pisciaiolo
Iddu va, iddu viene
Sempre baccala' a manu tiene
Se ci piglia 'a fantasia
Baccala' a manu tiene
Oh oh oh oh mamma', bilibibop
Zooma zooma baccala', oh no, no, no
Oh, mamma, bilibibop, zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, mamma, bilibibop, zooma zooma baccala'
Zee zee, zoo zoo ah ah, eh
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Bilibibop, bilibibop
Bilibibop, bilibibop
Louis Armstrong's song Angelina is a love song sung from the perspective of a man who is infatuated with a waitress named Angelina. The singer eats antipasta, zuppa, and minestrone just to be in her presence. The Italian words "Ti voglio bene" are repeated throughout the song, which translates to "I love you" in English. The singer expresses his love for Angelina and how she has set his heart on fire, but she never listens to his song. He even goes as far as to say that if Angelina would be his "cara mia" (darling), he would join her in matrimony. The final verses of the song feature Italian lyrics and jazz scat singing.
The lyrics of Angelina are a classic example of love across class boundaries. The man is infatuated with a waitress who works in a pizzeria, which implies that he is likely from a higher social class than she is. He eats at the pizzeria frequently and orders food he may not even want, just to be near her. The use of Italian lyrics throughout the song helps to create a romantic, passionate mood.
Line by Line Meaning
I eat antipasta twice
I indulge in antipasta twice, just to be able to spend more time with Angelina, who works at the pizzeria.
Just because she is so nice
I enjoy her company and want to spend more time with her.
Angelina
The name of the kind waitress I am attracted to.
Angelina
The name of the fantastic waitress I am enchanted with.
The waitress at the pizzeria
She works as a server in the pizzeria that I frequent in.
I eat zuppa and minestrone
I order soup courses, including zuppa and minestrone, to prolong my moments with her.
Just to be with her alone
The end goal is spending precious moments alone with her.
Ti voglio bene
I care about you, Angelina.
Angelina I adore you
My feelings are such that I hold Angelina dearly in my heart.
Ti voglio bene
I cherish the moments I am with you, Angelina.
Angelina I live for you
Angelina, all I long for is your happiness.
E un passione
My feelings for Angelina are a burning passion.
You have set my heart on fire
My love for Angelina has been ignited.
But Angelina
Unfortunately, Angelina is not interested in me and pays no mind to me.
Never listens to my song
Angelina never reciprocates my feelings, no matter how much I try.
If she'll be a my cara mia
If Angelina will agree to be my beloved one...
Then I'll join in matrimony
Then I will marry her, join our lives forever.
With a girl who serves spumoni
An angel, whose job is to serve the delicious spumoni, will become my wife in that case.
And Angelina will be mine
She will be my wife only if she accepts me, otherwise she will stay with her own life.
C'e' la luna 'n mezzo 'o mare
The moon is in the middle of the sea.
Mamma mia m'ho maritari
Mamma Mia, I'm going to get married.
Figghia mia a cu t' ho dare
My girl, who should I give you to?
Mamma mia pensaci tu
Mamma mia, you decide.
S'iddu nun e' lu musicante
If he is not a musician.
Iddu vai, iddu vene
Then he comes and goes.
Sempe lu strumento a mano tene
Always holding the instrument in his hand.
Se ci piglia 'a fantasia
If he gets the inspiration.
Lu strumento figlia mia
The instrument, my dear daughter.
Oh, mamma zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, mama, bring the cod.
C'e' la luna in miezz'o mare
The moon is in the middle of the sea.
Figlia mia a cu t' ho dare
To whom should I give you, my daughter?
Se ti piglia lu pisciaiolo
If you like the fisherman.
Sempre baccala' a manu tiene
Always holding the cod in his hand.
Oh oh oh oh mamma', bilibibop
Oh, Mama, hey, do it right.
Zooma zooma baccala', oh no, no, no
Bring the cod here now!
Oh, mamma, bilibibop, zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, Mama, hey, bring the cod right here.
Oh, mamma, bilibibop, zooma zooma baccala'
Oh, Mama, hey, bring the cod!
Zee zee, zoo zoo ah ah, eh
Let's celebrate!
Bilibibop, bilibibop
Hey, do it right!
Bilibibop, bilibibop
Hey, let's do it right!
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Peermusic Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: DORIS FISHER, ALLAN ROBERTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sammyrayofficial
I eat antipasta twice just because she is so nice, Angelina
Angelina the waitress at the pizzeria
I eat zuppa and minestrone just to be with her alone, Angelina
Angelina the waitress at the pizzeria
Ti voglio bene Angelina I adore you
Ti voglio bene Angelina I live for you
E un passione You have set my heart on fire
But Angelina never listens to my song
I eat antipasta twice just because she is so nice Angelina
Angelina the waitress at the pizzeria
If she'll be a my cara mia
then I'll join in matrimony with a girl who serves spumoni and Angelina will be mine
C'e' la luna 'n mezzo 'u mare Mamma mia me maritari
Figghia mia a cu te dari? Mamma mia pensaci tu
Si ci dugnu li musicanti iddu va, iddu veni sempre lu strumento ne manu teni
Si ci pigghia 'a fantasia lu strumento a figghia mia
O mamma, zooma zooma baccala
O mamma, zooma zooma baccala
o mamma, zooma zooma baccala
zooma zooma zooma zooma zooma baccala
C'e' la luna 'n mezzo 'u mare Mamma mia me maritari
Figghia mia a cu te dari? Mamma mia pensaci tu
Si ci dugnu pisciaiolu iddu va, iddu veni sempre baccala ne manu teni
Si ci pigghia 'a fantasia baccala a figghia mia
O mamma...
@gloriacoulson8804
I'm Italian, I just love all Louis Prima, music.I'm 87 yes old.
I can still do all he dances .God blessed my health.
@felixgutierrez993
Keep danceing on! God bless!
@jeffreyshuster4482
Sure, keep on dancin’ sister. Ole Louis could swing!
@katjalueke8735
Das ist einfach Musik für immmer
@garymalone477
Keep living✌
@Jean-Pierre333
God bless you. You lived at a wonderful era... I'm born in 1995 and i'm nostalgic about an era i've never lived...
@michelemeow5673
You can't hear Louis Prima and NOT smile or laugh. It's such joyful, happy music. Love him!
@happygilmore5948
I can't hear Louis Prima and NOT imagine King Louie from Jungle Book.
@skullbacon5121
@@happygilmore5948 my social studies teachers friend almost strangled louis prima to death
@MSAJV1978
True 😌