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.
Crystal Chandeliers
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Oh, the crystal chandeliers light up the paintings on your wall
The marble statuettes are standing stately in the hall
But will the timely crowd that has you laughing loud help you dry your tears
When the new wears off of your crystal chandeliers?
I never did fit in too well with folks you knew
And it's plain to see that the likes of me don't fit with you
And you turned away from the love I offered you
[Chorus]
I never did fit in too well with folks you knew
And it's plain to see that the likes of me don't fit with you
So you traded me for the gaiety of the well-to-do
And you turned away from the love I offered you
I see your picture in the news most every day
You're the chosen girl of the social world, so the stories say
But a paper smile only lasts awhile, then it fades away
And the love we knew will come home to you some day
[Chorus]
Louis Armstrong's song Crystal Chandeliers is a heart-wrenching ballad about lost love and the realization that material possessions cannot bring happiness. The song starts with the Chorus, where the crystalline chandeliers hang on the wall, highlighting the paintings in their glorious display. The exquisite marble statuettes stand elegantly in the hallway. However, the sarcasm in the lyrics reveals that these artifacts cannot help dry the tears of the singer's former lover. The timely crowd that surrounds her can make her laugh, but they cannot replace the love of the person who is in sincere and genuine love. The newness of the entire fancy arrangement fades away, leaving behind the emptiness that engulfs the former lover's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the crystal chandeliers light up the paintings on your wall
Your extravagant wealth is displayed in your decor with crystal chandeliers illuminating your paintings
The marble statuettes are standing stately in the hall
You have marble statues in your hallway as a symbol of opulence
But will the timely crowd that has you laughing loud help you dry your tears
Despite the temporary excitement and laughter of your rich friends, can they provide comfort in times of sadness?
When the new wears off of your crystal chandeliers?
When the novelty of your luxurious possessions fades away, will you still be happy?
I never did fit in too well with folks you knew
I never felt comfortable around your wealthy acquaintances
And it's plain to see that the likes of me don't fit with you
You prefer socializing with people of your own status and class, not someone like myself
So you traded me for the gaiety of the well-to-do
You left me for the excitement and amusement of those in higher social standing
And you turned away from the love I offered you
You rejected my unconditional love in favor of superficial pleasures
I see your picture in the news most every day
I often see pictures of you in the media
You're the chosen girl of the social world, so the stories say
Rumors abound that you are the favored woman of high society
But a paper smile only lasts awhile, then it fades away
A smile for the cameras may appear genuine, but it is only temporary and short-lived
And the love we knew will come home to you some day
One day you will realize the value of the love we shared, and it will return to you
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: THEODORE (TED) HARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sergio Flores
Muchas gracias muy buenos días un abrazo fraterno saludos