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.
Introduction to Mandy Make Up Your Mind
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Make up your mind
Preacher man is handy
Mandy, easy to find
Marching down the aisle with you
We'll make them all stare
With a little Black-Eyed Susan
Stuck in your hair
Mandy, Mandy
Won't you decide?
Everything is dandy
Mandy, once you are my bride
In a year or two
There may be three of a kind
Listen to me, Mandy
Make up your mind
In Louis Armstrong's song "Introduction to Mandy Make Up Your Mind," the lyrics revolve around a person named Mandy who is being urged to make a decision. The mention of a "preacher man" suggests that Mandy is perhaps in a relationship or engaged, and the singer is encouraging her to commit. The line "Easy to find" implies that Mandy might be hesitant or uncertain about her choice.
The lyrics continue with the imagery of marching down the aisle with Mandy, indicating their journey towards marriage. The line "We'll make them all stare" suggests that their union would be remarkable or captivating to others. The reference to a "little Black-Eyed Susan" stuck in Mandy's hair adds a charming touch, as Black-Eyed Susan is a type of flower symbolic of encouragement and motivation.
The song then addresses Mandy directly, with the singer pleading for her to make up her mind and decide. The repetition of "Mandy, Mandy" emphasizes the urgency of the request. The lyrics convey a sense of patience on the singer's part, as they mention that everything is currently "dandy," indicating that they are content in the current state of the relationship. However, the mention of "Once you are my bride" implies that the singer is eagerly anticipating a future commitment.
Overall, the lyrics of "Introduction to Mandy Make Up Your Mind" portray a person encouraging Mandy to make a decision regarding their relationship. They express that they are ready for marriage and are hoping for a positive response from Mandy.
Line by Line Meaning
Mandy, Mandy
Dear Mandy, my love
Make up your mind
Please make a decision
Preacher man is handy
The preacher is readily available to marry us
Mandy, easy to find
You are not difficult to locate
Marching down the aisle with you
Walking together towards marriage
We'll make them all stare
We will attract attention from everyone
With a little Black-Eyed Susan
A small flower called Black-Eyed Susan
Stuck in your hair
Placed in your hair as decoration
Mandy, Mandy
My dear Mandy
Won't you decide?
Please make a choice
Everything is dandy
Everything will be splendid
Mandy, once you are my bride
Once you become my wife
In a year or two
In the near future
There may be three of a kind
We might have three children
Listen to me, Mandy
Pay attention to me, Mandy
Make up your mind
Finalize your decision
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARKE, JOHNSTON, MEYER, TURK
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