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 don't mean a thing
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it ain't possessin' something sweet?
Nah, it ain't the melody and it ain't the music
There's something else that makes this tune complete
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
Well, it don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
It don't mean a thing, don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing, boy
I said, don't mean a thing and all you got to do is sing like
Nah, it makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you've got, oh
Don't mean a thing, boy, if it ain't got-a-that a swing-a
A bo ba doop, bo bo ba doop
Take it
Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing" is a classic song that conveys the importance of rhythm in music. The song emphasizes that melody and music alone are not enough if they don't possess something sweet. The lyrics indicate that there's something more that makes the tune complete, and that something is swing. The song suggests that music must have a particular groove, rhythm, or swing, without which it won't mean anything.
The song also highlights that it doesn't matter whether the music is sweet or hot. All that matters is that the rhythm is dynamic and captivating. It demands that the musicians and performers give it their all and put everything they've got into creating music that swings. The song suggests that swing is a certain feeling, a state of mind or soul, that arises when the music has the right groove and rhythm that can't be replicated just by playing notes. In essence, "It Don't Mean a Thing" is a song that emphasizes the importance of swing, as without it, music won’t mean or be anything.
Line by Line Meaning
What good is melody, what good is music
What's the point of a melody or music if it lacks something sweet?
If it ain't possessin' something sweet?
If it's not sweet or enjoyable, what's the point?
Nah, it ain't the melody and it ain't the music
The melody and music alone are not enough.
There's something else that makes this tune complete.
Something more is needed to make this song whole.
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
The song is incomplete without that specific kind of rhythm.
Well, it don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
As long as the song has that rhythm, all you need to do is sing.
It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Whether the song is slow or fast, it doesn't matter.
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Focus on that specific rhythm and give it your all.
It don't mean a thing, don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing, boy
Without that specific rhythm, the song is nothing.
I said, don't mean a thing and all you got to do is sing like
Just sing! The rhythm does the rest.
Nah, it makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
The tempo doesn't matter, as long as it has that rhythm.
Just give that rhythm everything you've got, oh
Concentrate on that rhythm and give it your best effort.
Don't mean a thing, boy, if it ain't got-a-that a swing-a
The song is worthless without that specific rhythm.
A bo ba doop, bo bo ba doop
The rhythm that makes the song complete.
Take it
Get into the rhythm and sing the song!
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealForrestGeorge
What good is melody, what good is music
If it ain't possessin' something sweet?
Nah, it ain't the melody and it ain't the music
There's something else that makes this tune complete
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
Well, it don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
It don't mean a thing, don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing
I said, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
Nah, it makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Don't mean a thing, boy, if it ain't that a swing
@wtfman071
1.) Duke Ellington-Singer
Louis Armstrong-Singer, Trumpet
Barney Bigard-Clarinet
Trummy Young-Trombone
Mort Herbert-Bass
Danny Barcelona-Drums
2.) Swing
3.) 32 Bar Popular Song Form
4.) I had a different version of this same song where the trumpet player was making some extremely interesting noises using a mute, but I couldn't find any information on who was in that recording so I decided to use this recording.
@tommy.vercetti2003
What good is melody, what good is music
If it ain't possessin' something sweet?
Nah, it ain't the melody and it ain't the music
There's something else that makes this tune complete
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
Well, it don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Yes, it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
It don't mean a thing, don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing, boy
I said, it don't mean a thing, and all you gotta do is sing like
Nah, it makes no difference if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm everything you got
Don't mean a thing, boy, if it ain't that a swing
@larsdybvad4789
Louis Armstrong! l loved you since 1959, when l was 7 years old. Your singing voice and trumpet: You are my favorite musician of all time. Thank you very much Louis. I love you !❤
@kahlilsykies9139
One of my many favorites from the master of jazz , Louis Armstrong. It makes no difference if it's sweet or hot. I love Louis Armstrong and this classic smooth sweet song.
@TheLisergicQueen
Jazz music is awesome!! :)
@kahlilsykies9139
Lisergic Queen Agreed ! I love modern jazz. But just ass much I enjoy the past eras , like the era of Louis Armstrong , Duke Ellington , Ella Fitzgerald and Billy Holiday. I feel it's the "golden era " , but that's just me. love it ! And also future artist like the great Miles Davis. I really enjoy the history of the genre. Who are some of your favorites past and present ?.
@TheLisergicQueen
Kahlil Sykies twowname over all: john coltrane and charles mingus :) im kinda obsessed with their music, hehe
@kahlilsykies9139
Lisergic Queen Those are both great artist. I really enjoy Kenny G , Boney James and Keiko Matsui just to name a few. Jazz is a creative multidimensional genre , with so many talented artist. You seem to have some good taste. It's really cool chatting to others's who enjoy the genre and are informed. As it has gone completely underground , nice talking to from wherever you may be located.
@savard1981
Thank you Duke Ellington!!!!
@AhmedMohamed-uy7pk
This is the best piece of music I’ve ever heard, can’t wait to go to New Orleans and listen to this one day!
@JohnBumaye
One of the Best to ever do it
@mathieumades2356
Extraordinaire, un moment d'éternité !❤️