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.
I'll Get By
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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And Tuesday's child is full of grace
Wednesday's child is full of woe
But Thursday's child has far to go
Things look mighty black for Thursday's child
Trouble docks the track of Thursday's child
This world could be a wonderful place
I never know which way I'm bound, I'm Thursday's child
Heartbreak hangs around for Thursday's child
I'll always be blamed for what I was named
But still I'm not ashamed, I am Thursday's child
I never know which way I'm bound, I'm Thursday's child
Heartbreak hangs around for Thursday's child
I'll always be blamed for what I was named
But still I'm not ashamed, I am Thursday's child
The song "I Guess I'll Get The Papers And Go Home" by Louis Armstrong And The All Stars talks about the old belief that each day of the week is associated with certain personality traits that will influence you for the rest of your life. It mentions the fair-faced Monday's child, the graceful Tuesday's child, and the woeful Wednesday's child. However, the lyrics focus on Thursday's child, who is believed to have a lot to accomplish in life but also to face many challenges.
The first two stanzas describe the struggles of Thursday's child. The world looks bleak, and trouble seems to follow them wherever they go. The second stanza highlights that people with Thursday's child are often burdened by heartbreak and feelings of being lost. The line "I never know which way I'm bound" suggests that Thursday's child feels directionless and unable to find their way in life. However, they are not ashamed of who they are; they embrace their identity as Thursday's child.
The song's overall message is that life may seem challenging for those with Thursday's child, but they should not be discouraged. They have a lot of potential and should be proud of their identity. Louis Armstrong And The All Stars deliver this message through their soulful rendition of the song, which features a trumpet solo by Armstrong himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Monday's child is fair of face
According to the old nursery rhyme, Monday’s child is supposed to be attractive.
And Tuesday's child is full of grace
The rhyme suggests that Tuesday’s child is graceful.
Wednesday's child is full of woe
Wednesday’s child is expected to have a lot of difficulties in life.
But Thursday's child has far to go
Thursday’s child is said to have a long journey ahead in life.
Things look mighty black for Thursday's child
Thursday's child is facing many challenges and obstacles in life.
Trouble docks the track of Thursday's child
Difficulties and problems keep getting in the way of Thursday's child.
This world could be a wonderful place
The world has the potential to be a beautiful and happy place for everyone.
But not when you wear Thursday's face
But, for Thursday's child, the world is not so great.
I never know which way I'm bound, I'm Thursday's child
Thursday's child is struggling to find direction and purpose in their life.
Heartbreak hangs around for Thursday's child
Thursday's child is constantly dealing with heartbreak and disappointment.
I'll always be blamed for what I was named
Thursday's child feels like they're being held back by the expectations that come with their name.
But still I'm not ashamed, I am Thursday's child
Despite the difficulties and challenges, Thursday's child is proud of who they are.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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