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 See You In My Dreams
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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And then I'll hold you in my dreams
Someone took you right out of my arms
Still I feel the thrill of your charms
Lips that once were mine
Tender eyes that shine
They will light my way tonight
Yes I will, see you in my dreams
You know I'll, hold you in my dreams
I know that, someone took you right out of my arms
But, still I feel the thrill of your charms
I dream of, lips that once were mine
And those, tender eyes that shine
I know, they'll light my way tonight
When I, see you in my dreams
Yes they will, light my way tonight
Because I'll, see you in my dreams
The lyrics to "I'll See You In My Dreams" by Louis Armstrong express the longing and nostalgia for a lost love. The song tells the story of a person who has been separated from their loved one, but still holds on to the memories and the hope of reuniting with them in their dreams. Despite someone having taken the person they love away from them, they can still feel the charm and excitement that their presence brings.
The lyrics talk about the lips and eyes that once belonged to the singer's love, emphasizing the intimate and personal connection they had. They believe that these memories will guide them through the night and bring them closer to their loved one, even if only in their dreams. The repetition of the phrase "I'll see you in my dreams" reinforces the powerful longing and desire to be reunited with their love, even if it's only in the realm of their imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll see you in my dreams
Even though we are apart, I envision being with you in my sleep, holding onto the hope of our reunion.
And then I'll hold you in my dreams
Within the realm of my dreams, I can embrace you once again, feeling the warmth of your presence.
Someone took you right out of my arms
Regrettably, another person snatched you away from my embrace, leaving me longing for your touch.
Still I feel the thrill of your charms
Nevertheless, the captivating allure you possess continues to ignite excitement within me, reminding me of the enchantment we shared.
Lips that once were mine
I reminisce about the sensation of your lips touching mine, a memory that lingers in my thoughts.
Tender eyes that shine
The gentle radiance emanating from your eyes, brimming with affection and warmth, captivates my heart.
They will light my way tonight
In the darkness of this night, the memory of your eyes will guide and comfort me, providing solace and assurance.
Yes I will, see you in my dreams
Undoubtedly, I will encounter you within the realm of my dreams, where our spirits can intertwine and our love can endure.
You know I'll, hold you in my dreams
You are aware that, in the realm of my dreams, I will firmly grasp onto you, cherishing your presence and nurturing our connection.
I know that, someone took you right out of my arms
I am conscious of the unfortunate reality that someone parted us forcibly, tearing you away from the loving embrace I once held.
But, still I feel the thrill of your charms
However, despite the physical separation, the profound enchantment you possess continues to exhilarate my being, kindling the embers of our love.
I dream of, lips that once were mine
My slumber is filled with vivid dreams where I can vividly recall the sensation of your tender lips once belonging to me, a cherished memory.
And those, tender eyes that shine
Similarly, in my dreams, the radiance emanating from your tender and affectionate eyes rekindles the passion and love we shared.
I know, they'll light my way tonight
I hold a firm belief that the luminosity exuded by your eyes will guide and illuminate my path throughout this night, providing solace and assurance.
When I, see you in my dreams
As I embrace the realm of slumber, envisioning your presence in my dreams, my heart is filled with hope and anticipation for the moments we can reunite.
Yes they will, light my way tonight
Without a doubt, the radiance emitted from your tender eyes will guide and illuminate my path throughout this night, filling it with comfort and reassurance.
Because I'll, see you in my dreams
My unshakable conviction lies in the fact that I will encounter you within the realm of dreams, where our love can persist and flourish.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gus Kahn, Isham Jones
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