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.
Is You Is Or Is You Aint
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Any time we have a date
But I love her
Yes, I love her
I'm gonna walk right up to her gate
And see if I can get it straight
'Cause I want her
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Way you're acting lately makes me doubt
You's is still my baby, baby
Seems my flame in your heart's done gone out
A woman is a creature that has always been strange
Just when you're sure of what you'll find
She's gone and made a change
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby true?
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
Maybe baby's found somebody new
Or is my baby still my baby true?
Louis Armstrong's song "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't" is a poignant portrayal of love and the uncertainty that comes with it. The singer in the song is torn between his love for his girlfriend, who is always late for their dates, and the doubts that arise in his mind about her true feelings for him. He decides to confront her and ask her straight out if she still loves him or if she has found someone new. The repetition of "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?" is a lament for the confusion and insecurity that comes with love.
The song's lyrics speak to the subtle nuances and changes that can happen in relationships. The singer is aware that women are "creatures that have always been strange," and that they can change in unexpected ways. He is unsure if his girlfriend's recent behavior means that she has lost interest in him or if there is another explanation. The line "Seems my flame in your heart's done gone out" suggests that he senses that something has changed, but he is not sure what it is.
Overall, the lyrics of "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't" convey a sense of vulnerability and emotional uncertainty. The singer is willing to risk rejection by confronting his girlfriend, showing his commitment to their relationship. The song's timeless message has resonated with listeners for decades, as it captures the timeless experience of love and the doubts that can arise along the way.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a gal who's always late
I have a girlfriend who is always late when we have a date, which is causing me stress and concern.
Any time we have a date
The tardiness of my girlfriend is consistent and happens every time we have a planned outing.
But I love her
Despite her lack of punctuality, I still harbor strong feelings of love towards her.
Yes, I love her
I am reaffirming my love for my girlfriend and expressing my devotion towards her.
I'm gonna walk right up to her gate
I plan to confront my girlfriend about her lateness in person by going directly to her residence.
And see if I can get it straight
I hope to have a constructive conversation with my girlfriend and come to a mutual understanding about her tardiness.
'Cause I want her
I am motivated to address and fix the issue with my girlfriend because I truly want to continue my relationship with her.
I'm gonna ask her
I intend to pose a direct question to my girlfriend to hopefully get a clear answer.
Is you is or is you ain't my baby?
I will ask my girlfriend if she is still committed to our relationship and if her feelings towards me are unchanged.
Way you're acting lately makes me doubt
The behavior my girlfriend has exhibited recently has caused me to question her faithfulness and her position in our relationship.
You's is still my baby, baby
I am hoping my girlfriend will reassure me that she is still my girlfriend and that there are no issues between us.
Seems my flame in your heart's done gone out
It appears that my girlfriend's passion towards me has diminished or disappeared completely.
A woman is a creature that has always been strange
I am acknowledging the complexity and unpredictability of women and their thoughts and emotions.
Just when you're sure of what you'll find
Even when you believe you know what a woman is thinking or feeling, expect the unexpected.
She's gone and made a change
A woman can surprise you by changing her mind or her behavior at any moment.
Maybe baby's found somebody new
One possibility for my girlfriend's behavior is that she has found someone else and is no longer interested in me.
Or is my baby still my baby true?
Although I am concerned about the possibility of infidelity, I am still hopeful that my girlfriend is true to me and our relationship.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Billy Austin, Louis Jordan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arealhebrew
Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" is a Louis Jordan song, recorded on October 4, 1943, and released as the B-side of a single with "G.I. Jive" with the title "Is You Is or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)". The song reached No. 1 on the US folk/country charts,number two for three weeks on the pop chart, and number three on the R&B chart.
"Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"Single by Louis Jordan & His Tympany FiveA-side"G.I. Jive"Released1944Format10"RecordedOctober 4, 1943GenreRhythm and bluesLabelDeccaSongwriter(s)Billy Austin, Louis Jordan
In the 1932 American film Harlem Is Heaven, dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, accompanied by jazz pianist Putney Dandridge, sings "Is You Is or Is You Ain't." The song in the film has different lyrics; but, in addition to its title, its melody is at times similar to that later used for "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby."
Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters recorded the song on June 30, 1944 for Decca Recordsand it too reached the No. 2 spot in the Billboard charts during a 12-week stay.
The song was covered by Ira "Buck" Woods as Tom Cat in the 1946 Tom & Jerry short Solid Serenade.
@dathblaze
Gotta love Tom and Jerry.
@audreyaguillon2650
right?!?!?!
@Andrew-mw9is
best show ever made
@NuisanceMan
Gotta love Louis Jordan!
@mireillemakelele352
Thought I was the only one who knew this song from Tom and Jerry...
@arethawhite3712
I know I do!!!!😀👋. They crack me up 😂 LOL now at the woman who screams out "Thomas"!!!!!!!!!! And then she hits him with that damn broom 😂 LOL!!!!! So damn funny 😀😂 😂😂!!!! Peace out for now my friend 👋,be blessed and safe ok 🙏💖. Much love from Bunn NC.👋💖💖😊.
@prateekpanwar646
Tom was most multi-talented cat at its time. He could play piano, sing, play trumpet, guitar, bass, violin while catching a mouse and running from bulldog. Dude must be superstar in its time.
@RifqiMainGitar
He once played Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 by Liszt, one of challenging pieces for piano, with just 8 fingers, while being disturbed by a mouse, but he was still able to finish it and even got an Oscar for it. If that ain't a talent, I don't know what is.
@Thaligamathor
Fish with a pole, go to outer space, work out, cow wrangling; the list goes on
@martinanastasovski3266
Taking pressing irons to the face like it’s nothing. Topper cat than Top Cat.