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 be glad when you're dead
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
When you're dead in your grave
No more women will you crave
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
I trust you in my home, you rascal, you
I trust you in my home, you rascal, you
You wouldn't leave my wife alone
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
I fed you since last fall, you rascal, you
I fed you since last fall, you rascal, you
I fed you since last fall
Then you got your ashes hauled
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal, you
You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal, you
You asked my wife to wash your clothes
And something else I suppose
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
You know you done me wrong, you rascal, you
You know you done me wrong, you rascal, you
You know you done me wrong
You done stole my wife and gone
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal, you
You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal, you
You asked my wife for a meal
And something else you tried to steal
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
Please, don't let me find you, rascal, you
Please, don't let me find you, rascal, you
Please, don't let me find you
'Cause you'll leave this world behind you
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
Ain't no use to run, you rascal, you
Ain't no use to run, you rascal, you
Ain't no use to run
I done bought a Gatling gun
And you still having your fun, you rascal, you
I'm gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal, you
I'm gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal, you
I'm gonna kill you just for fun
The buzzards gonna have you when I'm done
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
You done messed with my wife, you rascal, you
You done messed with my wife, you rascal, you
You done messed with my wife
And I'm gonna take your life
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
The lyrics of "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You" by Louis Armstrong and Louis Jordan depict the vengeance and hatred felt by the singer towards a man who betrayed and wronged him. The singer despises this man to such an extent that he wishes for his death and believes that it will bring him peace. He mentions that the man will no longer be able to crave women or cause him any problems once he is buried. The lyrics also imply that the man had an inappropriate relationship with the singer's wife, as he asked her to wash his clothes and sought other things from her. In response to this, the singer expresses a desire to kill the man and takes pleasure in knowing that the buzzards will feed on his dead body.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be glad when you're dead, you rascal, you
I will celebrate when you have passed away, you scoundrel
When you're dead in your grave
No more women will you crave
Once you are deceased, you will no longer desire women
I trust you in my home, you rascal, you
You wouldn't leave my wife alone
I foolishly let you into my home, but you made advances towards my wife
I fed you since last fall, you rascal, you
Then you got your ashes hauled
I provided for you since last autumn, but you betrayed me by having sexual relations with someone else
You asked my wife to wash your clothes, you rascal, you
And something else I suppose
You asked my wife to clean your clothes, and I suspect you had more inappropriate motives
You know you done me wrong, you rascal, you
You done stole my wife and gone
You are aware that you have mistreated me by stealing my wife and leaving
You asked my wife for a meal, you rascal, you
And something else you tried to steal
You requested food from my wife, and I suspect you also tried to steal from us
Please, don't let me find you, rascal, you
'Cause you'll leave this world behind you
I implore you not to let me catch you, as it will result in your death
Ain't no use to run, you rascal, you
I done bought a Gatling gun
And you still having your fun, you rascal, you
There is no point in running away, as I have acquired a Gatling gun, yet you still continue to be mischievous
I'm gonna kill you just for fun, you rascal, you
The buzzards gonna have you when I'm done
I will murder you purely for my own amusement, and once I am finished, the buzzards will feed on your remains
You done messed with my wife, you rascal, you
And I'm gonna take your life
You interfered with my wife, and as a result, I will end your life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Blocktimusprime
“When you lay six feet deep, no more fried chicken will you eat” is the coldest line of all time
@emilya.nannymoss9272
Even though the stupid funeral director wouldn't permit my dad to play this song for your wake, I found this song not long after you passed.
Miss you Grandma. Need your guidance from the Summerland even more now than ever with all the crap you know I'm going through this year so far. Love you. 😰💝💪🍀
RIP Georgina Christine Mateka
12/25/22 - 04/28/17
"You may be gone but you're never over... - " Eminem
@kim20525
My condolences!! She lived a long time!!
@emilya.nannymoss9272
@@kim20525 tysm. She was a very astute and wise woman. Hope you are doing well & that your elders are still with you. If not may my Grandma give them guidance in the Summerland. She's awesome as I'm sure your own elders are too. ❤💛💚💙💜
@kim20525
💚💚💚💚
@babuddha
Sorry for your loss. The funeral director was outside of his lane. Don't let paid servants make the rules.
@emilya.nannymoss9272
@@babuddha Namaste' & tysm for the words of comfort. They are greatly appreciated. Brightest Blessings. :)
@bobcooper82
OG diss track
@hannahrae927
straight up. lol
@rodneytg1
I was about to post the same thing. 💯