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.
Jeeper's Creepers
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Oh, gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that size?
Oh, golly gee, when you turn those heaters on
Woe is me, got to put my cheaters on
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize!
Oh, where'd ya get those eyes?
Oh, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Oh, gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that size?
Golly gee, when you turn those heaters on
Woe is me, got to put my cheaters on
Jeepers, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize yeas!
Oh, where'd ya get those eyes?
The song "Jeepers Creepers" by Louis Armstrong is a classic jazz tune from the 1930s that celebrates a woman's beautiful eyes. The lyrics suggest that the singer is in awe of this woman's eyes and asks where she got them from. The term "jeepers creepers" is likely a variation of "Jesus Christ" or "jeez" which was commonly used as an expression of surprise or excitement at the time. The lyrics continue with the singer expressing his wonder at the size and brightness of her eyes and how they "hypnotize" him. He even notes that he needs to put on his "cheaters," or eyeglasses, in order to see properly because her eyes are so dazzling.
The song contains the kind of playful, tongue-in-cheek humor that was common in pop music of the time. It celebrates a part of a woman's body in a way that is both respectful and cheeky, and the repetition of the phrase "jeepers creepers" adds to its upbeat, catchy quality. Overall, "Jeepers Creepers" is a lighthearted song that showcases Armstrong's unique voice and the swing style of jazz that he was known for.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Wow, where did you get those amazing eyes?
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Seriously, where did you find those beautiful eyes?
Oh, gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Wow, how did your eyes become so vibrant and lively?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that size?
Gosh, how did your eyes grow to be so big and captivating?
Oh, golly gee, when you turn those heaters on
Oh my goodness, when you light up with excitement
Woe is me, got to put my cheaters on
I can hardly handle it, I need to put on my glasses to see you better
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Seriously, where did you get those stunning eyes?
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize!
The way you look with those eyes can easily mesmerize anyone.
Oh, where'd ya get those eyes?
Really, where did you find those captivating eyes?
Jeepers, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers, jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Goodness gracious me, your eyes are so captivating! Where does one acquire such peepers?
Oh, those weepers, how they hypnotize yeas!
The way those eyes can stare is so hypnotizing!
Oh, where'd ya get those eyes?
I really can't stop thinking about--where did you get those hypnotic eyes?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Harry Warren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blaQI_roch
"Jeepers Creepers" is a popular 1938 song and jazz standard. The music was written by Harry Warren, and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the 1938 Warner Brothers movie Going Places. It was premiered by Louis Armstrong and has since been covered by many other artists.
This song was featured in the 1938 film Going Places starring Dick Powell, Anita Louise and Ronald Reagan. Louis Armstrong
appears in the part of Gabriel, the trainer of a race horse named
Jeepers Creepers. Jeepers Creepers is a very wild horse and can only be
soothed enough to let someone ride him when Gabriel plays the song
"Jeepers Creepers" on his trumpet or sings it to him. Gabriel wrote the
song specifically for the horse. (The phrase "jeepers creepers", a slang
expression and minced oath euphemism for Jesus Christ, predates both the song and film.)
The lyrics of the song are under copyright; the most famous pair of lines is:
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
There were three popular versions of the song in 1939 by Al Donahue, Louis Armstrong and Larry Clinton.
@santiagomauriciomunozviver9504
I don't care what the weatherman says
When the weatherman says it's raining
You'll never hear me complaining
I'm certain the sun will shine
I don't care how the weather vane points
When the weather vane points to gloomy
It's gotta be sunny to me
When your eyes look into mine
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all, git up, how'd they get that…
@bobstuckrath1805
And as an aside,
When the weatherman says it's raining
You'll never hear me complaining, I'm certain the sun will shine
I don't care how the weather vane points
When the weather vane points to gloomy
It's gotta be sunny to me, when your eyes look into mine
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Gosh all git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all git up, how'd they get that size?
Golly gee! When you turn those heaters on, woe is me
Got to get my cheaters on, Jeepers Creepers
Where'd ya get those peepers? Oh, those weepers
How they hypnotize, where'd ya get those eyes?
Where'd ya get those eyes? Where'd ya get those eyes?[8]
@humanofacturado7266
Now, I don't care what the weather man says
When the weatherman says it's raining
You'll never hear me complaining, I'm certain the sun will shine
I don't care how the weather vane points
When the weather vane points to gloomy
It's gotta be sunny to me, when your eyes look into mine
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
Gosh all git up, how'd they get so lit up?
Gosh all git up, how'd they get that size?
Golly gee! When you turn those heaters on, woe is me
Got to get my cheaters on, Jeepers Creepers
Where'd ya get those peepers? On, those weepers
How they hypnotize, where'd ya get those eyes?
Where'd ya get those eyes? Where'd ya get those eyes?
@njplr
I NEVER get tired of hearing THIS version of this song. It just bops along, sassy, and bouncy and as fresh today as it sounded FIFTY PLUS years ago. Satchmo, you were a brilliant musician and entertainer. Jeepers Creepers, where'd you get those lungs????
@Firefly712
It's not a version it's the original
@lindaeasley5606
This Louis Armstrong version of Jeepers Creepers was recorded in 1958 I believe.I absolutely love it.Best version ever done
@timmadone8930
This version was recorded in 1964 for the album "Hello Dolly". It was the first time Luis Armstrong had recorded a studio album in stereo. The album was sort of a come back album. But Luis had never really gone away. So the term can be used loosely. He was 63 at the time of this recording.
@blaQI_roch
"Jeepers Creepers" is a popular 1938 song and jazz standard. The music was written by Harry Warren, and the lyrics by Johnny Mercer, for the 1938 Warner Brothers movie Going Places. It was premiered by Louis Armstrong and has since been covered by many other artists.
This song was featured in the 1938 film Going Places starring Dick Powell, Anita Louise and Ronald Reagan. Louis Armstrong
appears in the part of Gabriel, the trainer of a race horse named
Jeepers Creepers. Jeepers Creepers is a very wild horse and can only be
soothed enough to let someone ride him when Gabriel plays the song
"Jeepers Creepers" on his trumpet or sings it to him. Gabriel wrote the
song specifically for the horse. (The phrase "jeepers creepers", a slang
expression and minced oath euphemism for Jesus Christ, predates both the song and film.)
The lyrics of the song are under copyright; the most famous pair of lines is:
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those peepers?
Jeepers Creepers, where'd ya get those eyes?
There were three popular versions of the song in 1939 by Al Donahue, Louis Armstrong and Larry Clinton.
@connorcarrier7901
Blacky T. Roach thanks I guess
@mr.punkie5872
Interesting information
@beastmodecowboy209
Blacky T. Roach thank you for copy and pasting from Wikipedia
@jayyoung4534
@Blacky...I've always loved that happy song, "Jeepers Creepers. It has endured to this day. Ethel Waters recorded a wonderful version of it, and I'm puzzled why Lena Horne didn't jump into the mix. But let me stop my ramble by saluting those two immortals of music, Harry Warren and Johnny Mercer, whose names are indelibly etched in every niche of musical history.
@MarcosMoraesCorretor
I'm brasilian but i think that Louis Armstrong is the best musician in whole world , all the times. Forever.