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.
Countin
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Layin' in bed this mornin' with my face turned to the wall
Trying to count these blues so I could sing 'em all
Memphis, Ramport, Beale Street set 'em, free
Memphis, Ramport, Beale Street set 'em, free
Graveyard, 'Bama Bound, Lord, Lord, come from Stingaree
Lord sittin' on the Southern gonna ride all night long
Downhearted, Gulf Coast--they was all good songs
Lord, 'rested at midnight; jailhouse made me loose my mind
Lord, 'rested at midnight; jailhouse made me loose my mind
Bad Luck 'n' Boll-Weevil made me think of old Moonshine
Lord, goin' to sleep now for mama just got bad news
Lord, goin' to sleep now for mama just got bad news
To try to dream away my troubles, countin' these blues
The song "Countin' the Blues" by Louis Armstrong is a representation of the blues music culture that originated in African American communities in the early 20th century. The song begins with the image of the singer lying in bed with his face turned to the wall. He is depressed and trying to count the blues so that he can sing about his feelings more effectively. The first two lines of the song set the melancholic tone for the rest of the lyrics.
The next few lines reference several locations where blues music was popular at the time, including Memphis, Ramport and Beale Street. The words "set 'em free" are arguably a reference to the power of music to provide an escape from depression and sadness. The singer then mentions the graveyard, 'Bama Bound, and Stingaree, which are all places associated with the black Southern community, particularly in the era of segregation. These references signify the pain and struggles of the African American community at that time.
In the last verse of the song, the singer mentions that he has received some bad news about his mother and he is going to sleep to try to dream away his troubles. The line "trying to count these blues so I could sing 'em all" shows the singer's commitment to blues music and its ability to provide solace and express his emotions.
Overall, "Countin' the Blues" is a poignant representation of the blues genre, showcasing the power of music to provide a voice to those who have been marginalized.
Line by Line Meaning
Layin' in bed this mornin' with my face turned to the wall
I woke up feeling depressed and hopeless, and I'm lying in bed trying to come up with lyrics for my blues song.
Trying to count these blues so I could sing 'em all
I have so many types of sad experiences in my life and I want to capture them all in my song.
Memphis, Ramport, Beale Street set 'em, free
Memphis, Ramport, and Beale Street are places where blues music has flourished, and I've been inspired by the great artists who have performed there, as they were free to express themselves through their music.
Graveyard, 'Bama Bound, Lord, Lord, come from Stingaree
These are all places where I've had sad and difficult experiences that I want to include in my blues song.
Lord sittin' on the Southern gonna ride all night long
I imagine a higher power is watching over me and all those who have suffered and been oppressed, and we're all going to keep going despite our struggles.
Downhearted, Gulf Coast--they was all good songs
Even though these songs are about difficult topics, they are still powerful and meaningful, and people can relate to them.
Lord, 'rested at midnight; jailhouse made me loose my mind
I've had some terrible experiences in my life that have caused me great pain and loss, and sometimes it's hard to cope with them.
Bad Luck 'n' Boll-Weevil made me think of old Moonshine
These are all things that have caused me problems or sadness in my life, and I'm trying to express them in my music.
Lord, goin' to sleep now for mama just got bad news
I'm tired and emotionally drained, and I need to rest so I can face whatever sadness tomorrow brings.
To try to dream away my troubles, countin' these blues
I'm trying to find some solace or escape from my pain by focusing on my music and creating something beautiful out of my sadness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: J. MAYO WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world