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.
Goodnight Sleep Tight
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sleep tight, dream your troubles away
Goodnight, in spite of any sorrow
There's a brand new day on it's way tomorrow
Someday, all your dreams will come true
Someway, for me and you
So close your eyes and dream of it my darling
Till then goodnight, goodnight, sleep tight
Won't you play the music so the cradle can rock
To a lullaby in ragtime
Sleepy hands are creeping to the end of the clock
Play a lullaby in ragtime
You can tell the sandman is on his way
By the way that they play
As still as the trill of a thrush
In a twilight hush
So you can hear
The rhythm of the river on the side of the boat
As you sail away to dreamland
High above the moon you hear a silvery note
As the sand man takes your hand
So rock-a-bye my baby
Don't you cry my baby
Sleepy time is nigh
Won't you rock me to a ragtime lullaby
Now comes the hard part, baby.
Do you suppose you can sing "Five Pennies" while
Pops and I sing something else?
Sure, I can sing as good as he can.
And who can't?
This little penny is to wish on
And make your wishes come true
This little penny is to dream on
Dream of all you can do
This little is a dancing penny
See how it glitters and it glows
Bright as a whistle
Light as a thistle
Quick, quick as a wink
Up on it's twinkling toes
This little penny is to laugh on
To see that tears never fall
This this little penny
Is the last little penny
Most important of all
For this penny is to love on
And where love is, heaven is there
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
You'll be a millionaire
For this penny is to love on
And where love is, heaven is there
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
You'll be a millionaire
Louis Armstrong's song "Goodnight Sleep Tight" is a lullaby that sends a hopeful message to those who are listening, particularly to children. The song begins by bidding goodnight to anyone who might be listening and encouraging them to dream and sleep tight, regardless of any troubling worries that are keeping them up. The lyrics continue to express optimism in the future, with the assurance that someday both the listener and the singer will achieve their dreams. The song then sets the scene for bedtime, asking for music to be played to soothe a baby to sleep with a ragtime lullaby. The song concludes with the suggestion that five little pennies can bring good fortune just by wishing on them.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodnight, time to call it a day
It's time to end the day and go to sleep
Sleep tight, dream your troubles away
Sleep peacefully and forget all your worries in your dreams
Goodnight, in spite of any sorrow
Saying goodnight despite any sadness or problems of the day
There's a brand new day on it's way tomorrow
Tomorrow is a new day with fresh opportunities and possibilities
Someday, all your dreams will come true
One day, all your hopes and aspirations will be fulfilled
Someway, for me and you
Somehow, our dreams will come true
So close your eyes and dream of it my darling
Go to sleep and think about your dreams
Till then goodnight, goodnight, sleep tight
Sleep well until then
Won't you play the music so the cradle can rock
Please play the music to lull me to sleep
To a lullaby in ragtime
Play a song with a soothing rhythm
Sleepy hands are creeping to the end of the clock
It's time to sleep as the clock ticks towards the end of the day
Play a lullaby in ragtime
Play a gentle song with a calming melody
You can tell the sandman is on his way
You can feel that sleep is coming
By the way that they play
You can tell by the gentle and soothing music
As still as the trill of a thrush
As quiet and peaceful as the sound of a bird song
In a twilight hush
At the quiet time of dusk
So you can hear
So you can listen to
The rhythm of the river on the side of the boat
The sound of the water moving around the boat
As you sail away to dreamland
As you drift off to sleep
High above the moon you hear a silvery note
You can hear a beautiful sound under the moonlight
As the sand man takes your hand
As you fall asleep
So rock-a-bye my baby
Sleep well, my child
Don't you cry my baby
Don't be sad, my child
Sleepy time is nigh
It's almost time for sleep
Won't you rock me to a ragtime lullaby
Please sing me a soothing song with a gentle rhythm
This little penny is to wish on
A coin to make a wish
And make your wishes come true
To grant your wishes
This little penny is to dream on
A coin to inspire dreams
Dream of all you can do
Imagine what you can achieve
This little is a dancing penny
A coin that seems to dance
See how it glitters and it glows
Notice how it shines and sparkles
Bright as a whistle
It's very bright and clear
Light as a thistle
It's very light and delicate
Quick, quick as a wink
It moves very fast
Up on it's twinkling toes
It dances on its tip-toes
This little penny is to laugh on
A coin to remind you to laugh
To see that tears never fall
To prevent sadness
This this little penny
This coin
Is the last little penny
It's the final coin
Most important of all
The most significant of them all
For this penny is to love on
This coin is to remind you to love
And where love is, heaven is there
Where there is love, there is happiness
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
By using only these specific five coins
You'll be a millionaire
You'll be wealthy beyond measure
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SYLVIA FINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
trinbago44
Old classics never die,that is why I listen to the radio at night on my way home from work they pop up when you least expect them and they are very welcome. Thank you for sharing. John.
sherrylynn70 aka Sentimental Journey Productions
Thank you for watching this and commenting..this is one of my very early videos in my journey here..thank goodness, I have learned alot since then...but, I love Louis, too and it was very fun to be able to interpret my litle vision of this great ole classic...nice for someone to appreciate it...merry christmas to you and yours..
diane189444
Totally Awesome thank you for sharing
Juliette Lim
Goodnight xoxoxoxo sweet dreams everyone :)
Shirley Mcdaniel
"SWEET DREAMS" XO
veedoubleyou108
thanks for this video .... Love that LEW....issssss!
Guacamally
GREAT SONG BUT WHY ALL CAPS Just saying ;]
dej loaf
Good night yall
cammeron lyle
goodnight everyone
mckenzie spout
good night