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 Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None of My Jelly Roll
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain't gonna give nobody none to save your soul
I said jelly, jelly roll
Baba-doo-dit-zoo-zah-zah-zeh
Aw-bah-zit-zou-ah-bah-dabba
Zoo-zee-zit-zoo-ba-by-ooh-zah-zee
Well, jelly roll, jelly roll, jelly roll
When you see me walking down the street
Down where the cats all meet
Jelly, jelly roll
I ain't gonna give you none
Louis Armstrong's song "I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None o' This Jelly Roll" is a blues song filled with innuendos and metaphors that revolve around the idea of not sharing one's possessions with others. The reference to "jelly roll" represents a woman's private part, and Armstrong is using this as an allegory to talk about how he is not willing to give anything of himself to anyone else. The line "I ain't gonna give nobody none to save your soul" emphasizes his unwillingness to share, regardless of the reasons why someone may want his jelly roll.
The song has a jazzy rhythm that feels lively and energetic, which contrasts with the lyrics' apparent selfishness. The use of scat singing, which consists of making sounds and noises instead of using actual words, also adds a layer of playfulness to the song. Armstrong's voice sounds raspy and soulful, which gives the song a raw and authentic feel that complements the theme of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, I ain't gonna give nobody none o' my jelly roll, jelly roll
I am not going to share my wealth or prosperity with anyone.
I ain't gonna give nobody none to save your soul
I am not going to help anyone, even if it's for their own good.
I said jelly, jelly roll
I am referring to my well-being or prosperity, which I am not willing to share.
Baba-doo-dit-zoo-zah-zah-zeh
This line is a meaningless vocalization used for its musical effect on the song.
Aw-bah-zit-zou-ah-bah-dabba
This line is a meaningless vocalization used for its musical effect on the song.
Zoo-zee-zit-zoo-ba-by-ooh-zah-zee
This line is a meaningless vocalization used for its musical effect on the song.
Well, jelly roll, jelly roll, jelly roll
Once again, I am referring to my personal prosperity or well-being.
Ain't gonna give nobody to save your soul
I will not extend any help, even if it is for someone's benefit.
When you see me walking down the street
This line indicates that I possess a self-assured and confident demeanor.
Down where the cats all meet
I am a person of popularity and high social status.
Jelly, jelly roll
My wealth and personal well-being are a matter of pride.
I ain't gonna give you none
I am not going to share my prosperity or success with anyone.
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC.
Written by: C. WILLIAMS, S. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cosybully
I have been listening to this album since I was eight years old in 1964. It is a national treasure.
@busessuck1
yeah this is really enjoyable stuff thanks for the upload, I like it when he went back to doing the dixieland stuff cause he does it better than anyone else also... i am so gonna copy that look next time i hit the town
@elizabethfusion
Outstanding, amusing. This album means to much in my life thank u
@kylethompson4
well then...I'll just go around the corner and get a glazed donut :)
@JuanFecit
Muchas gracias por compartirlo.
@carolcheny
thanks. this is Dixieland.
@MrRezillo
Love the way he completely forgot the lyrics and just winged it. Pure genius.
@forresthaller8850
its not that he forgot he is just improvising the lyrics, something people now adays don't accept as much. Lyrics are meant to be sung as personally as the notes.
@danielboone5505
LoL read the comment by Vic Tredwell. Ol' Louis didn't forget lyrics
@monoyamono
It's possible he did forget the lyrics. The legend says that Louis invented scat after forgetting lyrics and just riffing. He either did it for fun or because he messed up, no one is right or wrong, as long as we all enjoy the music.