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 Get A Kick Out Of You
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But practically everything leaves me totally cold
Yes, the only exception I know is the case
When I'm out on a quiet spree
Fighting vainly the old ennui
And I suddenly turn and see
Your fabulous face
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all
So tell me why should it be true
That I get a kick out of you
Some get a kick from cocaine
I'm sure that if I took even one, one sniff
That would bore me terrifically too
Oh, baby, I get a kick out of you
I get a kick every time I see
You're standing there before me
I get a kick though it's clear to me
You obviously do not adore me, yes
I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some guy in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do
Yet, baby I get a kick out of you
Yes, I get a kick every time I see
You're standing there before me
Baby, I get a kick though it's clear to me
You obviously, ah, don't adore me
Mama, I get no kick in a plane
Flying too high with some guy in the sky
Is my idea of nothing to do
Yet, baby, I get a kick
Mama, I get a boot
I get a kick babadadada you
Louis Armstrong's "I Get A Kick Out of You" is a song that seemingly tells the story of a person who is unimpressed with everything in their life except for one thing - the sight of a particular person's face. The first three lines of the song imply that the singer has a sad backstory, but the details of that backstory are never revealed, leaving it up to the listener's interpretation. The only thing that brings the singer any pleasure is when they are "out on a quiet spree" and they come across the "fabulous face" of the person that they are clearly infatuated with.
The rest of the song is the singer explaining that they don't find alcohol or drugs to be pleasurable in any way. They make it clear that even if they were to try cocaine, they are sure it would not impress them. The only thing that brings them joy, again, is the person that they are singing to. They get a "kick" out of them when they see them "standing there before me", even if it is clear that this person does not have the same feelings in return.
Overall, the song is a declaration of love or infatuation from one person to another, with a witty twist. The singer is stating that they don't need extravagant things like champagne or drugs to be happy, all they need is a glimpse of the person they are singing to.
Line by Line Meaning
My story is much too sad to be told
My past is filled with so much pain and heartache that I would rather not share it with others.
But practically everything leaves me totally cold
Most things fail to excite or fill me with enthusiasm or joy.
The only exception I know is the case
The one thing that truly makes me feel alive and happy is when I am out doing something fun and exciting, like going on a night out on the town.
When I'm out on a quiet spree
When I am out relaxing and enjoying myself in a peaceful way.
Fighting vainly the old ennui
Trying to battle against boredom and monotony that can plague life.
And I suddenly turn and see your fabulous face
Then, suddenly, I see your amazing smile and all my troubles melt away because you bring joy to my life.
I get no kick from champagne
Drinking expensive wine or spirits does not give me a thrill or make me feel happy.
Mere alcohol doesn't thrill me at all
Drinking is not the way I get a buzz or feel excitement.
So tell me, why should it be true
So, I ask myself, why do I get such a thrill when I am around you?
That I get a kick out of you?
Why is it that just being with you makes me feel so good and happy?
Some get a kick from cocaine
Some people are tempted to use drugs to feel excitement and pleasure.
I'm sure that if I took even one sniff
I am positive that if I were to try drugs, I would simply find them boring and unfulfilling.
That would bore me terrifically too
I would find drugs to be just another thing that fails to excite me or make me feel good.
But I get a kick out of you
However, I get a rush of pleasure and excitement just being around you.
I get a kick every time I see
Just being in your presence always makes me feel good and happy.
You're standing there before me
Seeing you, being with you, and enjoying your company brings me a sense of pleasure and joy that I can't find anywhere else.
I get a kick though it's clear to me
Even though it's obvious that you don't necessarily feel the same way about me, I still feel a sense of pleasure and joy just being with you.
You obviously don't adore me
It's clear that you don't have the same level of feeling or passion for me as I do for you.
I get no kick in a plane
Spending time on a plane, even with someone else, is not something that excites or brings me much pleasure.
Flying too high with some guy in the sky
Travelling at high altitudes in a plane, either alone or with someone else, is not particularly enjoyable or exciting for me.
Is my idea of nothing to do
It doesn't really seem like a great way to spend time or have fun.
Yet I get a kick out of you
However, even though these activities fail to excite me, I still find joy and happiness just being in your presence.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
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