Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, … Read Full Bio ↴Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.
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.

For You My Love
Louis Armstrong Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

For you, my love, I'd do most anything,
For you, my love, I'd do most anything,
I love you baby, and I hope you feel the same!

For you, my love, I'd swim the ocean blue,
For you, my love, I'd swim the ocean blue,
There's nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for
You!

Let's go out tonight and celebrate,
I've a party plan for you that just won't wait!
For you, my love, I'd do most anything,
I love you baby, and I hope you feel the same!

You made me drink, you made me dream,
Changed my drink to milk and cream1
I said goodbye to all the mob,
I even went out and got a job!

For you, my love, I'd do most anything,
I love you baby, and I hope you feel the same!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's song "For You, My Love" express a profound sense of devotion and willingness to go to great lengths for the person being addressed. The singer declares their boundless love, claiming they would do almost anything for their beloved. The repetition of this statement emphasizes the depth of their affection and desire for mutual feelings.

The imagery of swimming the ocean blue further emphasizes the singer's readiness to undertake incredible feats for love. It conveys a sense of endless devotion and commitment, suggesting that there are no limits to what they would do to show their love. This imagery also highlights the vastness and depth of their emotions, as the ocean is a powerful symbol of both love and the unknown.

The lyrics also mention a planned celebration, expressing the singer's excitement and desire to create special moments for their loved one. This celebration becomes a symbol of their dedication and eagerness to celebrate their relationship. Additionally, the lyrics mention a transformation in the singer's life, indicating that their love has had a profound impact on them. They let go of negative influences and make positive changes, such as quitting drinking and finding employment, to demonstrate their commitment to the relationship.

In summary, "For You, My Love" is a heartfelt declaration of unwavering love and willingness to do anything for the person cherished by the singer. It depicts the singer's willingness to undertake remarkable gestures and make significant changes for the sake of their love.

Line by Line Meaning

For you, my love, I'd do most anything,
I would go to great lengths and make any sacrifice for your sake, my love.

I love you baby, and I hope you feel the same!
I have deep affection for you, my dear, and I desire for you to reciprocate those feelings.

For you, my love, I'd swim the ocean blue,
I would willingly cross vast distances, even an entire ocean, just to be with you, my love.

There's nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for You!
There are no limits to what I am willing to do for you, my love. I would do anything for you.

Let's go out tonight and celebrate,
We should go out together this evening and enjoy ourselves, commemorating our love.

I've a party plan for you that just won't wait!
I have an exciting party prepared for you, and I cannot postpone it any longer.

You made me drink, you made me dream,
You have influenced me to indulge in intoxicants and indulge in fanciful visions.

Changed my drink to milk and cream
Due to your influence, I have shifted from consuming alcoholic beverages to drinking milk mixed with cream.

I said goodbye to all the mob,
I have cut ties with the criminal underworld and bid farewell to my previous associations.

I even went out and got a job!
In order to please you, I took the initiative to secure employment and work for a living.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PAUL GAYTEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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