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.
Just a Closer Walk with Thee
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to thee.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Daily walking close to thee,
Through this world of toils and snares,
If I falter Lord, who cares,
Who with me my burden shares?
None but thee, my dear Lord, none but thee.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Daily walking close to thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When the journey here is o'er,
Time for me will be no more,
Guide me to thy distant shore,
To thy shore, O dear Lord, to thy shore.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
Jesus grant my humble plea!
Daily walking close to thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be
Louis Armstrong's rendition of "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" is a touching hymn about the need for divine guidance and protection throughout life's journey. In the first verse, Armstrong acknowledges his own weakness but also recognizes the strength of Jesus to keep him from wrongdoing. He expresses his contentment as long as he is walking close to Jesus. The refrain of the song is a humble plea for Jesus to grant him the ability to walk closer to him each day. The second verse acknowledges the difficulties of life, symbolized by "toils and snares," but Armstrong confidently proclaims that none but Jesus can share his burden. The final verse is a recognition that this world is temporary and leads to a distant shore, which he asks Jesus to guide him to.
The poignant lyrics to this hymn are not only personal for Louis Armstrong and his faith but also touch on a universal human longing for spiritual guidance and connection. The imagery of the journey, burdens, and distant shore along with the simple but powerful melody of the song continues to resonate with people across cultures and faiths.
Line by Line Meaning
I am weak but thou art strong,
Although I am vulnerable and limited, you, Jesus, have the strength to keep me from falling astray.
Jesus, keep me from all wrong,
Please guide me away from harmful and dishonest ways of living.
I'll be satisfied as long
As long as I have your support, I will be content with whatever comes my way.
As I walk, let me walk close to thee.
As I journey in life, help me stay close to you and follow your path.
Just a closer walk to Thee,
My desire is to draw nearer to you, Jesus.
Jesus grant my humble plea!
I ask humbly for your help in granting my request.
Daily walking close to thee,
I aspire to walk with you every day, to remain connected with you constantly.
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
I pray that you accept my plea just as it is, and do with it what you will.
Through this world of toils and snares,
In this difficult and complex world, where there are many snares and traps,
If I falter Lord, who cares,
If I make mistakes or fall, who besides you, Lord, will care enough to help me?
Who with me my burden shares?
Who else is willing to take on the weight of my troubles alongside me?
None but thee, my dear Lord, none but thee.
Only you, my dear Lord, have the willingness and ability to carry my burdens with me.
When the journey here is o'er,
When my time here on earth has come to an end,
Time for me will be no more,
I will no longer be confined or structured by time.
Guide me to thy distant shore,
I humbly ask that you lead me to your place beyond this earthly existence.
To thy shore, O dear Lord, to thy shore.
Let me come to rest only at your shore, my dear Lord, and nowhere else.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILL (USA) BLACK, TRADITIONAL, PD TRADITIONAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jalebjaba1487
It doesn’t matter what her hair’s like , she’s the Queen of Gospel hands down . Rip .❤️
@aprilbrowncantstoppraising
Indeed♥️
@clydes2425
Amen ♥️♥️♥️
@Scratchingforcash
Well said ❤️
@ludlowcreary2885
The greatest gospel singer of all time.
@londabeyah9706
God 👀 HEART SPIRIT ENERGY SPEAKIBG CALLING WORSHIPPING PRAISING BELIEVING TRUSTING HIM 🙌 🙏
@joelleson3313
This song reaches right down into your soul and pulls you up. Two great Americans that we'll never see the likes of again.
@ladbol521
Right ! We thank God for making us unique. We have millions each of whom has an in-built trait distinguishing each one from another!
@ardettephillips3247
❤Amen
@ardettephillips3247
My mom's favorite song