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.
Can Anyone Explain
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No! No! No!
But when two eager lips are pressed against yours
You'll know, yes, you'll know
Can anyone explain the glow of romance?
No! No! No!
But when you hear the phrase "It's you I adore"
And you will find, to give love a start
Don't think with your mind; just feel with your heart
Can anyone explain the wonder of love?
No! No! No!
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
We know, yes, we know
And you will find, to give love a start
Don't think with your mind; just feel with your heart
Can anyone explain the wonder of love?
No! No! No!
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
We know, yes, we know
Louis Armstrong’s song Can Anyone Explain is a love song that explores the uncertainties and wonders of falling in love. The lyrics evoke the feelings that come with the experience of love and how it can be difficult to explain. The first two stanzas describe the physical sensations that accompany romantic love, such as the thrill of a kiss and the glow of romance. Armstrong suggests that these sentiments cannot be explained by simply using words but are rather felt through one’s heart. He emphasizes this point with the phrase “You’ll know, yes, you’ll know”.
The third stanza provides a message of encouragement to anyone seeking love. Armstrong suggests that in order to find love, one should not rely on their mind but rather on their heart. This is echoed in the final stanza where the singer reflects on how both he and his partner have shared the experience of falling in love and have come to understand the inexplicable wonders that come with it. The song’s delivery is simple yet effective, its jazzy melody blending seamlessly with the wistful lyrics, creating a classic romantic tune.
Line by Line Meaning
Can anyone explain the thrill of a kiss?
Is there a way to describe the feeling of a kiss?
No! No! No!
No, there isn't a way to explain it.
But when two eager lips are pressed against yours
But when you experience someone pressing their lips against yours with anticipation
You'll know, yes, you'll know
You'll understand the feeling without needing an explanation.
Can anyone explain the glow of romance?
Is there a way to describe the bright feeling of romance?
No! No! No!
No, there isn't a way to explain it.
But when you hear the phrase "It's you I adore"
But when someone tells you they admire and cherish you
You'll know, yes, you'll know
You'll understand the bright feeling without needing an explanation.
And you will find, to give love a start
If you want to start a relationship
Don't think with your mind; just feel with your heart
Don't overthink it; let your emotions guide you.
Can anyone explain the wonder of love?
Is there a way to describe the amazing feeling of love?
No! No! No!
No, there isn't a way to explain it.
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
But now that we're experiencing this feeling together
We know, yes, we know
We understand the feeling without needing an explanation.
Can anyone explain the wonder of love?
Is there a way to describe the amazing feeling of love?
No! No! No!
No, there isn't a way to explain it.
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
But now that we're experiencing this feeling together
We know, yes, we know
We understand the feeling without needing an explanation.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Louise-kz3zs
Lyrics
Can anyone explain the thrill of a kiss
No, no, no
But when two eager lips are pressed against yours
You'll know, yes, you'll know
Can anyone explain the glow of romance
No, no, no
But when you hear the phrase, it's you I adore
You'll know, yes, you'll know
And you will find, to give love a start
Don't think with your mind, just feel with your heart
Can anyone explain the wonder of love
No, no, no
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
We know, yes, we know
Say, pop's, ohh, pop's, put that horn down and listen
I wanna ask you a question
What's buggin' you, baby?
Well, Have you ever been in love?
Are you some? I've been in love four times but tell me
Can anyone explain the thrill of a kiss
No, no, no
But when two eager lips are pressed against yours
Then you'll know, yes, you'll know, I -
Can anyone explain the glow of romance
No, no, no
But when you hear the phrase, it's you I adore
Then you'll know, yes, you'll know, honey
And you will find, to give love a start
Don't think with your mind, just feel with your heart
Can anyone explain the wonder of love
No, no, no, tell me more, baby
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
We know, you can't miss it, yes, yes, we know
@Louise-kz3zs
Lyrics
Can anyone explain the thrill of a kiss
No, no, no
But when two eager lips are pressed against yours
You'll know, yes, you'll know
Can anyone explain the glow of romance
No, no, no
But when you hear the phrase, it's you I adore
You'll know, yes, you'll know
And you will find, to give love a start
Don't think with your mind, just feel with your heart
Can anyone explain the wonder of love
No, no, no
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
We know, yes, we know
Say, pop's, ohh, pop's, put that horn down and listen
I wanna ask you a question
What's buggin' you, baby?
Well, Have you ever been in love?
Are you some? I've been in love four times but tell me
Can anyone explain the thrill of a kiss
No, no, no
But when two eager lips are pressed against yours
Then you'll know, yes, you'll know, I -
Can anyone explain the glow of romance
No, no, no
But when you hear the phrase, it's you I adore
Then you'll know, yes, you'll know, honey
And you will find, to give love a start
Don't think with your mind, just feel with your heart
Can anyone explain the wonder of love
No, no, no, tell me more, baby
But now that you and I are sharing a sigh
We know, you can't miss it, yes, yes, we know
@astyna13
I'm only 20 years old but I just love this song!
@Luca1996inter
Do you still love it now that you are 27?
@astyna13
@@Luca1996inter I'm 28 and it still love it. Dare to say even more every time I hear it.
"Don't think with your mind, just feel with your heart."
@Luca1996inter
@@astyna13 <3
@Raeness28
One of my favorites by these two. Absolute legends
@torbjornbrunzell5060
My mother loved it, she didn´t understand a word, but Ellas voice... and so do I..
@duffesy4
This was a favourite lovesong of my mom and dad and I remember it from the early fifties when I was a kid. Brings back some very nostalgic memories! Elizabeth
@reshmasuresh3907
Still vibing with this song in 2020 😍🥰🤤
@blaeckingceorl4161
I loved the way she said "question"!