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.
Formula for Love
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Simply because you're near me.
Funny, but when you're near me
I'm in the mood for love.
Heaven is in your eyes
Bright as the stars we're under
Oh! Is it any wonder
Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade?
We've put our hearts together
Now we are one, I'm not afraid!
If there's a cloud above
If it should rain we'll let it
But for tonight, forget it!
I'm in the mood for love
Louis Armstrong's rendition of the classic song "I'm In The Mood For Love" is an ode to the overwhelming emotions one feels when they're in love. The opening line of the song sets the stage for the rest of the tune - "I'm in the mood for love, simply because you're near me." Armstrong's soulful voice carries the sentiment of the lyrics effortlessly as he sings about how the presence of the one he loves affects him. It's almost as if he's saying that being in love is enough to put him in an amorous mood.
The chorus of the song contains some beautifully crafted lyrics as well. The line "Heaven is in your eyes, bright as the stars we're under" is a testament to the power of love and how it can make everything feel magical. The lyrics also touch on the idea of ignoring the worries and concerns of the world when you're with the one you love. The lines "If there's a cloud above, if it should rain, we'll let it, but for tonight forget it" suggest that even if there are troubles, they can be put aside for the moment. Overall, the song is a testament to the enduring and powerful nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in the mood for love
I am feeling romantic and affectionate.
Simply because you're near me.
Your physical presence arouses my love and desire.
Funny, but when you're near me
It is amusing how my mood changes when you are in my proximity.
Heaven is in your eyes
Your eyes radiate beauty and inspire feelings of transcendence.
Bright as the stars we're under
Your eyes are as radiant and captivating as the stars we are looking at.
Oh! Is it any wonder
It is not surprising that I feel so enamored given your presence and your eyes.
Why stop to think of whether
There is no need to second-guess or doubt our feelings.
This little dream might fade?
We should not worry about the future of our relationship.
We've put our hearts together
Our hearts are intertwined and united.
Now we are one, I'm not afraid!
Sharing our love makes us stronger and unafraid of the future.
If there's a cloud above
Even if there is a problem or obstacle in the future.
If it should rain we'll let it
If something unpleasant happens, we will endure it gracefully.
But for tonight, forget it!
For now, let's not worry about what might happen and enjoy the present moment.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy Mchugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SoulMarriage
Wow! Such a rare, little known appearance by Satchmo...! Great playing and music making. Thank you for posting it!
Henning Andersen
It actually cost a FORTUNE to make him participate.
Steph H
Love it! Thanks for sharing!
Leo Pekrul
So gut war einmal der Gesang. Echtes können war wichtig
clausenodense
En dejlig melodi. Filmen som melodien medvirker i hedder, Kærlighedens Melodi. (Syntes lige at det manglede i din tekst). Foruden den, så har de også lavet filmen Verdens Rigeste Pige.
Flemming Lohse
...en af denne verdens aller smukkeste kvinder ..
Zander
Kunne godt bruge Piano noderne til denne sang :)
René Ahlquist
Hvilken dansk jazz-komponist var det nu, der skrev den?
John Astrup
Kjeld Bonfils dansk pianist. I verdensklasse.
Henning Andersen
0.13 He's still very WHAT ???