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.
Fools Rush In
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How the fool broke a rule
Is he really a fool?
Yes, fools rush in where angels fear to tread
And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head
Though I see the danger there
If there's a chance for me, then I don't care
Fools rush in where wise men never go
But wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
Yes, when we met, I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
Yes, fools rush in where angels fear to tread
And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head
Only fools walk in where wise men never go
Wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
Yes, when we met, I felt my life begin
So open up your heart and let this fool walk in
Yeah, this is a song of a fool
The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's song "Fools Rush In" explore the concept of impulsive love and the willingness to take risks despite the potential dangers involved. The song begins by questioning whether the singer is truly a fool for breaking a rule, implying that perhaps there is a deeper understanding behind their actions. The chorus highlights the idea that fools tend to rush into situations where even angels would fear to go, emphasizing the recklessness and daring nature of the singer.
The singer confesses their love and admits that they are aware of the potential danger involved in pursuing a relationship. However, they express that they don't care about the risks because they see a chance for happiness. The verse suggests that wise men, who are cautious and calculated in their approach to life, may never fall in love because they are too guarded against potential heartbreak. The singer believes that their meeting with their love interest gave them a new lease on life, prompting them to encourage their partner to open their heart and allow the singer to become a part of their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the song of a fool
Listen to the story of someone who made foolish choices
How the fool broke a rule
Witness how the foolish person disregarded established norms
Is he really a fool?
Questioning whether the person's actions truly define them as a fool
Yes, fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Foolish individuals venture into risky situations that even cautious people avoid
And so I come to you, my love, my heart above my head
Despite the potential dangers, the singer approaches their beloved with overwhelming emotions
Though I see the danger there
Acknowledging the presence of potential harm in the situation
If there's a chance for me, then I don't care
Expressing a disregard for the risks involved because of the opportunity for love
Fools rush in where wise men never go
Foolish individuals enter places or situations that sensible people avoid
But wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
Implying that wise individuals who never experience love cannot understand the choices made by the fool
Yes, when we met, I felt my life begin
Upon meeting the beloved, the singer perceives their life to have started anew
So open up your heart and let this fool rush in
Inviting the beloved to allow the fool to pursue their love interest with unrestrained enthusiasm
Only fools walk in where wise men never go
Only foolish people dare to enter places that sensible individuals avoid
Wise men never fall in love, so how are they to know?
Suggesting that wise individuals who do not experience love cannot comprehend the fool's mindset
Yeah, this is a song of a fool
Indeed, this song recounts the tale of someone who acted in a foolish manner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@voicegirl555
I have never heard this before but I like it! I love this song and to hear that the great Louis Armstrong did a version of it is wonderful! You did great Louis as always!!
@bland9876
Where are you having the opposite experience of me where this is the version that I heard on a CD and then when I looked it up online the first one that showed up was by a different person?
@antoniojimenez1133
Muchas gracias!