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.
Do Nothing 'Til You Hear From Me
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
Since everyone spread the story
With his own little personal touch
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Is over my head
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington's song "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me" is a timeless classic that explores themes of love, trust, and gossip. The opening lines, "Someone told someone and someone told you / But they wouldn't hurt you, not much / Since everyone spread the story / With his own little personal touch" set the stage for the rest of the song, which urges the listener to ignore gossip and hearsay and instead wait to hear directly from the person in question before making any judgments.
The song's chorus, "Do nothin' till you hear from me / Pay no attention to what's said / Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream / Is over my head," further emphasizes the importance of trusting the source and not jumping to conclusions based on rumors. The lyrics also touch on the idea that new experiences or encounters, such as being seen with someone new, do not necessarily mean that someone is being unfaithful or disloyal. Ultimately, the singer of the song urges the listener to wait to hear the truth directly from them before making any assumptions.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone told someone and someone told you
Rumors and stories have been spreading about me, but they are not necessarily true.
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
These rumors are harmless and won't cause much harm or damage to our relationship.
Since everyone spread the story with his own little personal touch
As the story gets passed from one person to another, each person adds their own spin or embellishment to it.
Do nothin' till you hear from me
Don't take any action or make any judgments until you've heard my side of the story.
Pay no attention to what's said
Don't believe everything you hear or read about me, especially if it's negative or scandalous.
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
I don't understand why people enjoy tearing apart other people's dreams or aspirations.
Is over my head
I can't comprehend or explain this kind of behavior or mentality.
At least consider our romance
Please don't let these rumors or stories affect or damage our relationship and love for each other.
If you should take the word of others you've heard
If you choose to believe the rumors or stories about me that you've heard from others before hearing my side of the story...
I haven't a chance
It will be very difficult for me to prove my innocence or convince you of the truth.
True I've been seen with someone new
It's true that I've been seen with someone else recently.
But does that mean that I'm untrue
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm being unfaithful or disloyal to you.
When we're apart the words in my heart
Whenever we are apart, my heart and thoughts are always filled with love and affection for you.
Reveal how I feel about you
My true feelings for you can only be revealed through my own words and actions, not through rumors or stories.
Some kiss may cloud my memory
I may have shared a kiss or moment with someone else, but that doesn't diminish or erase my feelings for you.
And other arms may hold a thrill
I may have felt a thrill or excitement in someone else's embrace, but that doesn't compare to the love and comfort I feel in your arms.
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
Please don't make any assumptions or decisions until you've heard the truth directly from me.
And you never will
Because I will always be honest and truthful with you, and you will never have to hear the truth from anyone else.
Lyrics © Freibank Musikverlags und vermarktungs GmbH, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, BOB RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Catssandra13
This is a great classic tune, one of my favorites. I love Louis and the Duke together - thanks for uploading :)
@najponkjazz9111
Jazz Greats!!!! Fantastic!!!!
@piotrszlazak2513
Za pomocą ... . Toop Jazz PR PiK ! Gdzie Panią Magdalenę!!! 😉
@ayanatillman2041
I love this
@IrRrIS1l3nt
@bphutchins Oh youre welcome, its always comforting to see people with taste for music.
@MrFalconford
i'll always remember you this way l a & d e
@MartaBtrp
yeeeee :)
@busessuck1
Awsome... though i can't find the version with hibbler on vocals
@hippieinmississippi
@bphutchins jazz isnt dead, its just in the witness protection program, patiently awaiting for some new artist to take the reins and bring it back to the center stage...
@Gamma3
Pay no attention to what said