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.
Christmas Night
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's all that noise?
Hallelujah
Don't give up with that now
Glory, Halle
Who's that over in the corner?
Hallelujah
Hey what you doin' up there, man?
Last time I saw you
You were sayin' fare thee well to Harlem
I done bin wise g'wine
An' I ain't g'wine there n'more
You sho' come back the right time
It's Christmas up here
What d'ya mean up here?
It's Christmas ev'rywhere
Yeah, but it ain't all Christmas
Like it's Christmas in Harlem
No
Ev'ry gal struttin' with her beau
Through the streets covered white with snow
Happy smiles er'ywhere you go
Christmas night in Harlem
Black and tans feelin' mighty good
In that old colored neighborhood
Here and now be it understood
Christmas night in Harlem
Ev'ryone is gonna sit up
Until after three
Ev'ryone will be all lit up
Like a Christmas tree
Come on now ev'ry coal black Joe
You just lead me t'the mistletoe
With a kiss and a hi de ho
Christmas night in Harlem
Hee, man, dog
What'd Santa Claus leave in your stockin'?
Let me see, there's an orange, a jar ?
And, man, look at this slide trombone
Yeah, but it might not sound so pretty
Let me hear you tune it
Mr. Mercer, I'm glad to be back in this festivity
Ah, you said it Mr. T
It's Christmas night in Harlem
Well it's Christmas night in Harlem
Man, you drew the ?
Louis Armstrong's song Christmas Night In Harlem is a jolly tune capturing the essence and joy of Christmas night in the old colored neighborhood of Harlem. The song starts with voices hollering "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, glory, Halle" followed by Armstrong's voice inquiring about the noise, and the chorus responds with "Don't give up with that now, Glory, Halle." The song is set in Harlem, and in the second verse, Armstrong engages a familiar face, Mr. Teagarden, who he had met earlier and had left Harlem but returned at the right time for Christmas. The song captures the holiday spirit with black and tan folks feeling good, and happy smiles everywhere.
The third verse shows how Christmas night in Harlem is not an ordinary Christmas celebration as everyone would stay up until after 3 am, and everyone would be all lit up like Christmas trees. The songwriter uses metaphors and slangs to describe the festivities, and Armstrong playfully interacts with Hugh Mercer as they switch lines all in the spirit of the holiday. In the final verse, Armstrong joins in the celebration of Christmas night in Harlem, and the song ends on these happy notes celebrating community and Christmas.
Line by Line Meaning
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, glory, Halle
Expressing joyous exultation and admiration with great enthusiasm
What's all that noise?
Asking the cause of the disturbance
Don't give up with that now
Encouraging someone to continue what they're doing
Who's that over in the corner?
Asking who is in a particular spot
I believe that's Mr. Teagarden
Asserting that a certain person is present
Hey what you doin' up there, man?
Asking what someone is doing in a particular location
Last time I saw you
Referring to a previous encounter
You were sayin' fare thee well to Harlem
Reminiscing about a past goodbye to a place
I done bin wise g'wine
I have learned from my experiences
An' I ain't g'wine there n'more
I have no intentions of returning to that place
You sho' come back the right time
You have returned during a festive and joyous occasion
It's Christmas up here
Stating that it is currently the holiday season
What d'ya mean up here?
Asking for clarification about the location
It's Christmas ev'rywhere
The holiday season is being celebrated all over
Yeah, but it ain't all Christmas
Acknowledging that not every place is celebrating the holiday season
Like it's Christmas in Harlem
Highlighting the festive atmosphere and energy of Harlem during the holiday season
No
Acknowledging that the aforementioned statement is not true for other places
Ev'ry gal struttin' with her beau
Describing couples happily walking around together
Through the streets covered white with snow
Depicting the winter weather conditions
Happy smiles er'ywhere you go
Observing that people are in good spirits
Christmas night in Harlem
Referring to the festive holiday atmosphere of Harlem
Black and tans feelin' mighty good
Describing that people from different backgrounds are feeling happy and relaxed
In that old colored neighborhood
Referring to the predominantly black community in Harlem
Here and now be it understood
Emphasizing the importance of this moment of celebration
Ev'ryone is gonna sit up
Anticipating that everyone will be awake and alert
Until after three
Expecting that the celebration will last into the early morning hours
Ev'ryone will be all lit up
Describing that people will be in a joyous and celebratory mood
Like a Christmas tree
Comparing the mood of the people to a festive holiday decoration
Come on now ev'ry coal black Joe
Calling on everyone to join in the celebration
You just lead me t'the mistletoe
Inviting someone to kiss under the mistletoe
With a kiss and a hi de ho
Enjoying the festive moment with singing and dancing
Hee, man, dog
Expressions of excitement and enthusiasm
What'd Santa Claus leave in your stockin'?
Asking what gifts someone received on Christmas
Let me see, there's an orange, a jar ?
Listing some of the gifts received
And, man, look at this slide trombone
Expressing excitement about receiving a musical instrument
Yeah, but it might not sound so pretty
Acknowledging the possibility of needing to practice to improve playing
Let me hear you tune it
Asking to hear someone play the instrument
Mr. Mercer, I'm glad to be back in this festivity
Expressing joy and pleasure in being back to enjoy the festive atmosphere
Ah, you said it Mr. T
Agreeing with a previous statement
Well it's Christmas night in Harlem
Affirming that it is currently a festive holiday atmosphere in Harlem
Man, you drew the ?
Uncertain / unintelligible statement
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MITCHELL PARISH, RAYMOND SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
A L
Superb! Thanks for the posting this swinging classic. I love the understated piano and the smooth scat at the end!
GS Hartman
Not a bad song but nowadays Christmas night in Harlem you'd be lucky to come out alive
Orelius
@valbarnes2001 I can confirm that it's not all safe lmao
valbarnes2001
have you been in Harlem or its just talk?
GS Hartman
@Jay Vee Not criticizing the scenes but the bad element that roams the streets at night that ruins it for the good people.
Jay Vee
Nowadays? Are you sure? Have you seen the Youtube walking tour videos of Harlem and surrounding areas?