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.
Irish Black Bottom
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was the "Wearin' Of The Green"
But the biggest change that's come in Ireland
I have ever seen
All the laddies and the cooies
Laid aside their Irish reels
And I was born in Ireland
Now Ireland's gone Black Bottom crazy
See them dance; you ought to see them dance
Folks supposed to be related, even dance
I mean they dance
They play that strain
Works right on their brain
Now it goes Black Bottom
A new rhythm's drivin' the folks insane
I hand you no blarney when I say
That song really goes
And they put it over with a wow
I mean now
All over Ireland
You can see the people dancin' it
'Cause Ireland's gone Black Bottom crazy
The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's song Irish Black Bottom speak about a significant change that the singer has seen in Ireland, where people have moved on from traditional Irish reels and dances to the new and popular Black Bottom dance. The singer, who claims to be born in Ireland, expresses his surprise and astonishment at the extent to which people have embraced the new dance form. The song talks about how the Black Bottom dance has become a craze in Ireland, and people all over the country are dancing to its tunes.
The song is a commentary on how cultural shifts and changes often happen in society, and how people adapt and embrace new ideas and trends. It also shows how music and dance have the power to unite people across different backgrounds, and how they bring about a sense of joy and celebration. The song is a reflection of Louis Armstrong's own experiences as a musician and performer, who witnessed the changes in musical tastes and preferences over several years.
Line by Line Meaning
All you heard for years in Ireland
Was the "Wearin' Of The Green"
For many years in Ireland, the only music that mattered was "Wearin' of the Green".
But the biggest change that's come in Ireland
I have ever seen
However, the greatest transformation that has ever occurred in Ireland has taken place right now.
All the laddies and the cooies
Laid aside their Irish reels
All the young men and women have stopped performing traditional Irish reels in favor of something new.
And I was born in Ireland
(Ha, Ha), so imagine how I feels
I am originally from Ireland, so you can imagine how I personally feel about this change.
Now Ireland's gone Black Bottom crazy
See them dance; you ought to see them dance
Ireland is now obsessed with the Black Bottom dance and it's truly a sight to see.
Folks supposed to be related, even dance
I mean they dance
Even people who are supposed to be close family members are dancing together now.
They play that strain
Works right on their brain
The music of the Black Bottom dance gets inside their heads and takes over their thoughts completely.
Now it goes Black Bottom
A new rhythm's drivin' the folks insane
The Black Bottom dance has introduced a new rhythm that is driving the Irish people crazy with excitement.
I hand you no blarney when I say
That song really goes
I'm not lying when I tell you that this song is really great.
And they put it over with a wow
I mean now
And they perform it with such skill and enthusiasm that it's truly impressive.
All over Ireland
You can see the people dancin' it
'Cause Ireland's gone Black Bottom crazy
There isn't a corner of Ireland where you won't see people dancing the Black Bottom dance, because it has taken over the entire country.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LOUIS ARMSTRONG, PERCY VENABLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@spirituality1000
Fantastic tribute to Ireland
@guillermopena5656
Verdadero conocimiento del Jazz y su interpretación. Inolvidable Louis!
@alanspagnolia9474
Great, solid 1920's Chicago jazz !!! GORGEOUS "OKEH" RECORD !!
@electrowavez1680
All you heard for years in Ireland
Was the "Wearin' Of The Green"
But the biggest change that's come in Ireland
I have ever seen
All the laddies and the cooies
Laid aside their Irish reels
And I was born in Ireland
(Ha, Ha), so imagine how I feels
Now Ireland's gone Black Bottom crazy
See them dance; you ought to see them dance
Folks supposed to be related, even dance
I mean they dance
They play that strain
Works right on their brain
Now it goes Black Bottom
A new rhythm's drivin' the folks insane
I hand you no blarney when I say
That song really goes
And they put it over with a wow
I mean now
All over Ireland
You can see the people dancin' it
'Cause Ireland's gone Black Bottom crazy
@james-flynn1938
Enjoyed this very much
@msjazzmeblues
What a cool concept!
@mochawitch
Awesomesauce ❤❤❤❤❤
@JonErikKellso
❤️👍🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🎶🔥