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: âYou canât play nothing on modern trumpet that doesnât 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.
Gone Fishin'
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time to your place you've gone fishin'
Well, how you know?
Well, there's a sign upon your door (uh-huh)
Gone fishin' (I'm real gone, man)
You ain't working anymore (could be!)
There's your hoe out in the sun
Where you left a row half-done
You ain't got no ambition
Gone fishin,'
By a shady, wady pool (shangri-la! really la!)
I'm wishin'
I could be that kind of fool (shall I twist your arm?)
I'd say "no more work for mine" (welcome to the club)
On my door, I'd hang a sign, "gone fishin'"
Instead of just wishin'
Papa Bing (yeah, Louie?) I stopped by your place a time or two lately
And you weren't home either!
Well, I'm a busy man, Louie, I got a lot of big deals cooking
I was probably tied up at the studio
You wasn't tied up, you dog, you was just plain ol'
Gone fishin' (bah-boo-bah-boo-bah-boo-bah-boo-bah)
There's a sign upon your door (pops, don't blab it around, will you?)
Gone fishin' (keep it shady, I got me a big one staked out)
Mmm, you ain't workin' anymore (I don't have to work, I got me a piece of gary)
Cows need milkin' in the barn (I have the twins on that detail, they each take a side)
But you just don't give a darn (give 'em four bits a cow and hand lotion)
You just never seem to learn (man, you taught me)
You ain't got no ambition (you're convincin' me)
Gone fishin' (bah-boo-dah-do-dah-do-dah-do)
Got your hound dog by your side (that's old cindy-lou goin' with me)
Gone fishin' (mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm)
Fleas are bitin' at his hide, mmm (get away from me boy, you bother me)
Folks won't find us now because
Mister Satch and mister Cros
We gone fishin'
Instead of just a-wishin'
Bah-boo-baby-bah-boo-bah-bay-mmm-bo-bay
Oh yeah!
In Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosbyâs song "Gone Fishin'," the verses follow a humorous conversation between the two friends, where Bing cannot find Louis for work, and Louis explains that he is out fishing. The first verse lists all the things Louis should be doing but isnât, while he goes about fishing. The chorus talks about how much more fun fishing is than work and how the two friends wish they could fish all day instead of working. They sing about how the fleas are biting their dog, but they still prefer to be out fishing. The lyrics are light-hearted, and the song's message is a call to take a break from the usual grind and do something enjoyable instead.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you why I can't find ya
I'm curious about your whereabouts
Every time to your place you've gone fishin'
Every time I come to your place, you're never there because you're fishing
Well, how you know?
How do you know that I'm always fishing?
Well, there's a sign upon your door (uh-huh)
Oh, there's a sign on your door that says you're fishing
Gone fishin' (I'm real gone, man)
I'm fishing, I'm not around
You ain't working anymore (could be!)
You're not working anymore, you're just fishing
There's your hoe out in the sun
I see your gardening tool out in the sun
Where you left a row half-done
You left a row of plants half-planted
You claim that hoein' ain't no fun (but I can prove it!)
You always say gardening is not fun, but I can prove you wrong
You ain't got no ambition
You lack any motivation to do anything other than go fishing
Gone fishin',
I'm fishing
By a shady, wady pool (shangri-la! really la!)
I am relaxing by a shady and tranquil pool
I'm wishin'
I desire
I could be that kind of fool (shall I twist your arm?)
I wish I could be foolish like you (do you want me to convince you?)
I'd say "no more work for mine"
I would say that I'm done with work
On my door, I'd hang a sign, "gone fishin'"
I would put a sign on my door that says I'm fishing
Instead of just wishin'
Instead of merely wishing to go fishing, I would actually go fishing
Papa Bing (yeah, Louie?) I stopped by your place a time or two lately
Bing, I recently visited your place once or twice
And you weren't home either!
And you also weren't there!
Well, I'm a busy man, Louie, I got a lot of big deals cooking
I am a busy man, Louie, I have many important things going on
I was probably tied up at the studio
I was probably occupied at the studio
You wasn't tied up, you dog, you was just plain ol'
You weren't busy, you sly person, you were just being lazy
Gone fishin' (bah-boo-bah-boo-bah-boo-bah-boo-bah)
I'm fishing (playing trumpet)
There's a sign upon your door (pops, don't blab it around, will you?)
There's a sign on your door that says you're gone fishing (don't spread the word around, father)
Gone fishin' (keep it shady, I got me a big one staked out)
I'm fishing (keep it quiet, I have a big fish to catch)
Mmm, you ain't workin' anymore (I don't have to work, I got me a piece of gary)
You're not working anymore (I don't need to work, I have some money saved)
Cows need milkin' in the barn (I have the twins on that detail, they each take a side)
The cows need to be milked in the barn (I have my twins taking care of it, one on each side)
But you just don't give a darn (give 'em four bits a cow and hand lotion)
But you just don't care (pay them 50 cents per cow and give them lotion)
You just never seem to learn (man, you taught me)
It seems you never learn (father, but you taught me)
You ain't got no ambition (you're convincin' me)
You lack any motivation (you're making me think the same way)
Gone fishin' (bah-boo-dah-do-dah-do-dah-do)
I'm fishing (playing trumpet melody)
Got your hound dog by your side (that's old cindy-lou goin' with me)
I have my dog with me (that's my dog Cindy-Lou coming with me)
Gone fishin' (mmm-hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm)
I'm fishing (singing melody)
Fleas are bitin' at his hide, mmm (get away from me boy, you bother me)
His skin has fleas biting it, oh my (get away from me dog, you're bothering me)
Folks won't find us now because
People can't find us because
Mister Satch and mister Cros
Me, Louis Armstrong, and Mister Bing Crosby
We gone fishin'
We are fishing
Instead of just a-wishin'
Instead of just wishing to go fishing, we actually went fishing
Bah-boo-baby-bah-boo-bah-bay-mmm-bo-bay
Tramp Lotta (nonsense scatting)
Oh yeah!
Oh yeah!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: CHARLES F KENNY, NICK A KENNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TinaTurpen
I used this as part of my Grandpa's memorial music. If we couldn't find him it was because he was gone fishing, now he is forever gone fishing. Love you!! Miss you.
@deemarie5691
Tina Turpen aw that's so nice. what a great tribute.
@joshlatus8490
Did the same with my grandad for his funeral and it was same for him if we couldn't find him he would be fishing. Go to his local spots and he would be there with my rod and would say "I knew you'd be here soon rods ready"
@lindastevenson9143
Today It was played at my Dad s funeral ..he loved his fishing đą
@thesultrystrangerdanger6824
Yeah they called me cashed out
@georgetunstill2341
This song brings back memories for me. There's a TV station in my hometown of Huntsville, Al that aired a local fishing show in the early 70's when I was in elementary school and they used this song as it's opening. My dad loved this song because he was a fisherman and almost every other Saturday in the summer when I was a child, he and I would go fishing. Sometimes we would catch some fish but most of the time the only things that were biting were the mosquitoes But I wouldn't trade the memories I had of him for all the gold in the world.
@ssgtag
Born in Tn., raised in Huntsville, Al. . I do remember that Fishing show and this song brings back memories of my Dad and my Paw Paw, "Gone Fishing".
@DrOlds7298
I also lived there in 'Rocket City' at different times between 1968-81,when my (late) Father was stationed there. (Redstone Arsenal) I remember the show,but I can't recall if it was on Ch 19,31 or 48!!! And there was some mighty,mighty fine fishin' around there,too!!! Lake Guntersville, right below the Dam on both the Marshall & Morgan Co. sides, and also near the bridge/causeway on 431 going into Guntersville, the Tennessee River (Near the Ditto's Landing bridges was a place we liked??) and even some of those little creeks and ponds late evenings & weekends out on RSA saw a lot of us!!! (But you might want to steer clear of the area right close to a little town called Triana.....did they ever clear that mess up??)
@peterblack1639
The smoothest singer of all time Bing Crosby.....smoother then Sinatra.....
@martyj.w2875
Man, its soooo, cool!
Love this song, I come back to listen to it regularly.