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.
Hey Lawdy Mama
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl I'll
Be your man
Be my woman.
Girl I'll
Be your man
Yes I'll be your woman
Yes I'll be your baby
Yes I'll be your girl, forever your lady
You ain't gotta worry, I'm down for you baby
Best believe that, when you need that
I'll provide that, you will always have it.
I'll be on deck, keep it in check
When you need that, I'ma let you have it
Beating my drum like, dum di di dey
I like the dirty rhythm you play.
I wanna hear you calling my name
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma
Banging the drum like, dum di di dey
I know you want it in the worst way.
I wanna hear you calling my name
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma
Be my woman
Girl I'll.
Be your man
Be my woman
Girl I'll
Be your man.
Yes I'll do the cooking, yes I'll do the cleaning
Plus I keep the na-na, real sweet, for your eating
Yes you be the boss, and yes I be respecting
Whatever that you tell me, cause it's game you be spitting.
Best believe that, when you need that
I'll provide that, you will always have it
I'll be on deck, keep it in check
When you need that, I'ma let you have it
Beating my drum like, dum di di dey
I like the dirty rhythm you play
I wanna hear you calling my name
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma.
Banging the drum like, dum di di dey
I know you want it in the worst way
I wanna hear you calling my name
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma.
Be my woman
Girl I'll
Be your man
Be my woman
Girl I'll
Be your man
Yo, yo
Whole crew got the juice, your dick game the truth
My screams is the proof, them other dudes get the deuce.
I might speed in the coupe, leaving this interview
It ain't nothin' new, I been fuckin' with you
No them niggas, ain't taking you, just tell them to make a u
Huh, that how it be, I come first like debuts, huh
So baby when you need that, give me that word.
I'm no good, I'll be bad for my baby
Make sure that he's getting his share
Make sure that his baby take care
Make sure mama, toes on my knees
Keep him, please, rub him down.
Be a lady and a freak
Beating my drum like, dum di di dey
I like the dirty rhythm you play.
I wanna hear you calling my name
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma
Banging the drum like, dum di di dey
I know you want it in the worst way
I wanna hear you calling my name
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma.
Be my woman
Girl I'll
Be your man
Be my woman
Girl I'll
Be your man.
"Hey Lawdy Mama" is not a song by Louis Armstrong; it is a song by Stevie Wonder. However, I can explain the lyrics of "Hey Mama" by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha, and Afrojack. The song is all about how a man and a woman can be partners in life and love. The song starts with the man asking the woman to be his woman, and he promises to be her man. The woman agrees and tells the man that she will be whatever he wants her to be.
The lyrics go on to describe how the couple will take care of each other. The woman promises to cook and clean, while the man promises to provide for her. The song also talks about the woman being a lady and a freak at the same time. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "hey mama" and "banging the drum like dum di di dey," which could be interpreted as a sexual innuendo.
Line by Line Meaning
Be my woman
I want you to be my partner
Girl I'll
I promise
Be your man
to be a good partner to you
Be my woman.
I'm asking you to be my girlfriend or wife
Yes I'll be your woman
I'm willing to do anything for you
Yes I'll be your baby
I will be your partner in every way possible
Yes I'll be whatever, that you tell me when you're ready.
I'm ready to meet all your expectations
Yes I'll be your girl, forever your lady
I'm committed to you for life
You ain't gotta worry, I'm down for you baby
I'll always have your back, no matter what
Best believe that, when you need that
I promise, I'll always come through for you
I'll provide that, you will always have it.
I'll give you everything you need to be happy
I'll be on deck, keep it in check
I'll be attentive and keep our relationship healthy
When you need that, I'ma let you have it
I'll give you what you need, when you need it
Beating my drum like, dum di di dey
I'm excited and feeling the rhythm of life
I like the dirty rhythm you play.
I love your style and personality
I wanna hear you calling my name
I love when you show me attention
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma
I love it when you call me baby
Banging the drum like, dum di di dey
I'm ready to take action and go after what I want
I know you want it in the worst way.
I can feel your desire and passion for me
Yo, yo
A way to call attention or start a new idea/message.
Whole crew got the juice, your dick game the truth
I'm confident in our abilities as a couple
My screams is the proof, them other dudes get the deuce.
I'm happy with you, and not interested in anyone else
I might speed in the coupe, leaving this interview
I'm a fast mover and always on the go
It ain't nothin' new, I been fuckin' with you
We've been together for a while now
No them niggas, ain't taking you, just tell them to make a u
I'm not worried about other guys, just tell them to move on
Huh, that how it be, I come first like debuts, huh
I'm a priority in your life, like a debut artist
So baby when you need that, give me that word.
When you need something, just ask
I'm no good, I'll be bad for my baby
I'll do anything to keep you happy, even if it's not good for me
Make sure that he's getting his share
I want to make sure you're happy in our relationship
Make sure that his baby take care
I want to take care of you in every way possible
Beating my drum like, dum di di dey
I'm going after my goals with passion and energy
I wanna hear you calling my name
I need to feel like you're there for me
Like, hey mama, mama, hey mama, ma.
I love when you call me by a cute nickname
Contributed by Reagan G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world