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.
It Ain
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't it the truth?
And there is no other,
Ain't it the truth?
If you don't love livin' you is slightly uncouth,
Ain't it the dignified truth?
Said that gal Du Barry,
Life is cash and carry,
Ain't it the truth?
You got to shake it down or stir up with vermouth,
Ain't it the practical truth?
Love is a ripplin' brook,
Man is a fish to cook,
You got to bait your hook;
Rise and shine,
Cast your line!
You got to get your possum,
Ain't it the truth?
While you still in blossom,
Ain't it the truth?
Cleopatra and Delilah had it way over Ruth,
Mmm, them gels did mighty swell,
They sure did ring that bell!
Ain't it the gospel truth?
It's the truth, the truth,
It's the solid mellow truth!
Louis Armstrong's song "Ain't it the Truth" is both playful and wise in its examination of life's brevity and the importance of embracing its joys. The lyrics imply that life is too short to waste on negativity, and those who don't take the opportunity to enjoy it are wasting precious moments. The chorus of "Ain't it the truth?" emphasizes the universal nature of these ideas, as if it is impossible to disagree with such sentiments.
The first verse, addressed directly to the listener with the colloquialism "brother," urges everyone to embrace the preciousness of life. The second verse references Madame du Barry, a mistress of France's King Louis XV, implying that life is a transaction that requires effort to extract all the enjoyment that it can offer. The third verse is a metaphor about fishing: life is the brook, and people are the fish who must be convinced to bite the hook by enticing them with bait. Armstrong encourages listeners to "cast your line," to actively seek out life's joys.
In the final verse, Armstrong uses three historical figures, Cleopatra, Delilah, and Ruth, to highlight the idea that the pleasures of life are available to everyone who wants to partake. He implies that these women were able to ring life's joys "bell" while still acknowledging fate's precariousness by repeating "ain't it the gospel truth?" The wisdom of the song lies in its playful way of acknowledging the facts of life: it's short, full of cash and carry and powerful women, and it requires active participation to enjoy it to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is short brother,
Life is limited in duration, my friend,
Ain't it the truth?
Isn't that the genuine and undeniable reality?
And there is no other,
And there is no alternative or substitute,
If you don't love livin' you is slightly uncouth,
If you don't enjoy life, it indicates a slight lack in sophistication,
Said that gal Du Barry,
Madame Du Barry expressed once,
"Ain't it the truth?
"Isn't that the fact?
Life is cash and carry,
Life is based on the exchange of money for goods and services,
You got to shake it down or stir up with vermouth,
You have to mix and match to obtain what you want, like adding vermouth to a drink,
Ain't it the practical truth?
Isn't that the logical and pragmatic reality?
Love is a ripplin' brook,
Love is like a flowing stream,
Man is a fish to cook,
Humankind is like a fish to be prepared,
You got to bait your hook;
You have to lure your target,
Rise and shine,
Wake up and start the day,
Cast your line!
Throw out your fishing line and see what you can reel in!
You got to get your possum,
You have to go after what you want just like hunting a possum,
While you still in blossom,
While you're still young and beautiful,
Cleopatra and Delilah had it way over Ruth,
Cleopatra and Delilah were more successful with men than Ruth,
Mmm, them gels did mighty swell,
Those women did extremely well,
They sure did ring that bell!
They were definitely able to attract attention!
Ain't it the gospel truth?
Isn't that the absolute and undeniable truth?
It's the truth, the truth,
It's the genuine and undeniable truth,
It's the solid mellow truth!
It's the strong and smooth reality!
Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC. , Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: E.Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN
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 !❤️