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.
Body & Soul
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
Louis Armstrong's version of "Body and Soul" is a song of heartbreak and longing. The lyrics detail the singer's deep affection for someone who seems oblivious to their feelings. The song opens with the singer's confession that their heart is "sad and lonely." They long for the person they love and wish that they could see how devoted they are. The phrase "I'm all for you body and soul" illustrates the depth of their commitment. The singer spends their days consumed with thoughts of the person they desire, wondering why they're being ignored. They insist that they're not just playing around and that their feelings are genuine.
The second half of the song takes a more melancholic turn. The singer is still devoted to their beloved, but they're beginning to doubt whether their affections will ever be returned. They ask the object of their desire if they're "pretending," and wonder whether their relationship is doomed. The final lines of the song are the most heartbreaking, as the singer acknowledges that their life is a "wreck" and that they'd "gladly surrender [themself] to [their beloved] body and soul." The repetition of this line serves to underline the singer's desperation.
Overall, Louis Armstrong's rendition of "Body and Soul" is a powerful ballad of unrequited love. The lyrics, combined with his soulful voice, make for a haunting and emotional experience.
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I'm feeling sad and lonely
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I long for you and only you
Why haven't you seen it
Why haven't you realized my feelings for you?
I'm all for you body and soul
I'm completely devoted to you inside and out
I spend my days in longing
I spend every day longing for you
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
And questioning why you're hurting me
I tell you I mean it
I'm not just saying this, I truly mean it
I'm all for you body and soul
I'm completely devoted to you inside and out
I can't believe it
I can't believe what's happening
It's hard to conceive it
It's difficult to understand
That you'd turn away romance
That you'd reject my love
Are you pretending
Are you acting like everything is okay?
It looks like the ending
It seems like this is the end
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
Unless you give me one more opportunity to show you how much I love you
My life a wreck you're making
You're making a mess of my life
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You know I belong to you completely
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I'd willingly give myself to you completely, both physically and emotionally
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Michael Barry, Phil Simpson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ирина Ирина
Какая всё таки классная работа музыкального оркестрового аранжировщика!!!Вторая по значимости,после композитора!!!
Ирина Ирина
This song is my Dad's favourit!!!Never forget!!!immortal jazz classic!!!
Ирина Ирина
While you listening this music,your soul want to let God bless all relatives of armstrong!!!
Ирина Ирина
Луи сделал больше добра для людей за эти 4 минуты больше,чем алькапонэ за всю свою жизнь!!!
Elsa Delia Culleton
Maravilloso tema..
Gracias !!
Marcelo G
Una de mis versiones favoritas! Gracias x compartir!
Ирина Ирина
How wonderfull is big orchestra musical dicoration!!!Bravissimo!!!
Rafael Evangelista
AMAZING song!
Detelinka68
Adore this one, thanks for sharing!!! :))
Dario Cofre
He was one of the greatest!!!