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.
Blues
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know that you're the one to blame
When you broke my heart and made me cry
I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye
Weary blues have made me cry
Well, these weary blues I'm gonna bid goodbye
I know, I won't forget you but I'll try
Well, I know that things won't be the same
And I know that you're the one to blame
When you broke my heart and made me cry
I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye
Weary blues have made me cry
Well, these weary blues I am gonna bid goodbye
I know, I won't forget you but I'll try
I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye
I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye
The lyrics of Louis Armstrong's song "Weary Blues" reflect the pain of a heartbroken man who has been left by the person he loved. He acknowledges that things will never be the same again, and that the person who caused him this heartbreak is the one to blame. The song is a farewell to the blues that have made him cry and suffer. He knows that he won't be able to forget the person who hurt him, but he will try to let go of the pain and bid his weary blues goodbye.
The lyrics convey a sense of acceptance and determination to move on from the pain of heartbreak. The reference to "weary blues" is a metaphor for the emotional exhaustion caused by the pain and suffering of a broken heart. The repetition of the phrase "I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye" emphasizes the importance of letting go of the past and moving forward.
Louis Armstrong's "Weary Blues" is not only a reflection on lost love, but also a tribute to the unique sound of blues music. The song is considered a classic example of the blues genre, which originated in African American communities in the Southern United States. The combination of melancholic lyrics and soulful music became a defining characteristic of the blues.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I know that things won't be the same
I am aware that my life has changed and will never be like it was before.
And I know that you're the one to blame
I acknowledge that you are responsible for the pain and suffering I feel.
When you broke my heart and made me cry
Your actions shattered me emotionally and caused me to weep.
I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye
I will no longer allow my melancholic feelings to control my life.
Weary blues have made me cry
My saddened state of mind has brought tears to my eyes.
I know, I won't forget you but I'll try
I am aware that forgetting you is not possible, but I will endeavor to move forward.
You know I am gonna bid my weary blues goodbye
I am declaring that I am ready to let go of my despondency and embrace a more positive outlook on life.
Well, these weary blues I'm gonna bid goodbye
I am determined to release the emotional pain that has burdened me for far too long.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEORGE CATES, MORT GREENE, ARTIE MATTHEWS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Kanaka38
@@racine1685 ..A bit late, but here is the lineup:
Louis Armstrong Trumpet/vocals
Earl Hines Piano
Jimmy Strong Clarinet
Fred Robinson Trombone
Mancy Carr Banjo
Zutty Singleton Drums
The 'click' noise at the end was Zutty Singleton's hand cymbals.
Written by Joe "King" Oliver and recoded twice, one on June 11th 1928, and then again on June 28th 1928.
The 28th of June 1928 was the most accepted version, and probably the version presented in this video.
Both versions being recorded on 78 rpm disc.
@lily3758
Who’s here from music class? Ngl kinda vibing doe 😂
@sienna888
ye lol
@Avawalkerx
me lol
@apletedreviews7684
Word lol
@greek9244
Me
@trnavskatreska7517
me lmao
@MassyBiagio
My father was a trumpet player and he made me listen to this piece tens, hundreds of times, then he did it again tens, hundreds of times, until it was identical to him.
From 1970 to 1990 I have unwrapped this piece no less than thousands and thousands of times.
Dedicated to my father who is no more.
See you from Italy.
@harryhagan5937
Interesting! Tell me more da bella Italia! Where was your father playing? Dixieland stuff? I've played a good bit myself and recorded a few LPs. It's doing it the first time that counts, though. Ciao amico della musica!
@michaeljc
Your father had great insight into great music. This is the greatest jazz song ever written/performed- it's perfect.
@mikehopes3102
My god a absolute classic Lil Harding on piano dusty streets playing the piano in here attic