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.
Don't Get Around Much Any More
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I take a book down from the shelf
And what with programs on the air
I keep pretty much to myself
Missed the Saturday dance
Hear they crowded the floor
Couldn't bear it without you
Though I'd visit the club
Got as far as the door
They'd have asked about you
Don't get around much anymore
Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
But, nevertheless, why stir up memories?
Been invited on dates
Might have gone, but what for?
Awfully different without you
Don't get around much anymore
Missed the Saturday dance
Hear they crowded the floor
Couldn't bear it without you
Don't get around much anymore
Though I'd visit the club
Got as far as the door
They'd have asked about you
Don't get around much anymore
Darling I guess my mind's more at ease
But, nevertheless, why stir up memories?
Been invited on dates
Might have gone, but what for?
Awfully different without you
Don't get around much anymore
Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington's song "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" deals with the theme of lost love and the loneliness that comes with it. The singer of the song spends most of his time alone, passing the time with books and TV programs. The song starts off by telling the listener that the singer is not playing solitaire, but instead reads books on the shelf and watches TV programs. From this, we understand that the singer is not trying to keep himself busy because he enjoys solitude, but rather because he misses someone he once knew.
The next lines of the song tell us that the singer missed the Saturday dance, where they crowded the floor. This is a clear indication that the singer used to attend the dance with someone he loved or was interested in. However, he couldn't bear to attend the dance without that person. He then goes on to say that although he visits the club, he never goes in. This is likely because he knows that he will be asked about the person he loved or that he cannot bear to go in without that person. He then admits that his mind is at ease, even though he does not have the person he loves by his side. He has been invited on dates, but he doesn't see the point since everything is different without that special someone.
Overall, the song expresses feelings of sadness, longing, and a sense of loss. The lyrics suggest that the singer is a man who is in search of emotional connection with someone, but that person is no longer around. He still has feelings for the person he loved and misses the moments they shared together. The song's melancholic tone captures the singer's sense of solitude and despair, which is further highlighted by the mournful voices of the two singers.
Line by Line Meaning
When I'm not playing solitaire
When I'm not alone and enjoying my own company
I take a book down from the shelf
I try to find solace in reading and learning new things
And what with programs on the air
I am entertained by the various TV and radio programs available
I keep pretty much to myself
I tend to stay isolated and avoid social engagements
Missed the Saturday dance
I was not present at the recent social gathering
Hear they crowded the floor
I heard that the dance floor was full of people
Couldn't bear it without you
I felt a strong longing for your presence
Don't get around much anymore
I don't engage in social activities as much as I used to
Though I'd visit the club
Even if I did go to the club
Got as far as the door
I stopped myself from entering
They'd have asked about you
People would have inquired about your whereabouts
Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
I feel a sense of calm and relaxation
But, nevertheless, why stir up memories?
However, there is no need to bring up the past and evoke emotions from it
Been invited on dates
I have received offers to go out with someone
Might have gone, but what for?
I might have accepted, but there is no real reason for me to go
Awfully different without you
Things are not the same when you are not by my side
Don't get around much anymore
I don't engage in social activities as much as I used to
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Bob Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ganzano
You can literally HEAR the smile as he sings.
@fergieNH
Who could thumbs down this! The quality of the recording itself is amazing. And the talent is amazing!
@stevenwiederholt7000
Lot of stupid people out there.
@AD-yi3qz
I agree. They don't write music like this anymore.
@shaabella
Paul Ferg
@livecozen
Just NEVER gets old :)
@tommyboyindy1157
Duke plays behind the beat but holds it all together. What a brilliant artist.
@IIoveasl10
Two great musicians!
@IIoveasl10
I love that version! Although Duke's original version is great too!
@isorokudono
Judy Garland and Johnny Mercer is pretty good too.