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.
Keepin Out of Mischief Now
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you're not by my side,
I stay home by my radio,
But I'm satisfied!
All my flirtin' days are gone,
On the level from now on!
Don't go for any excitement now,
All my opinions have changed somehow,
Old-fashioned as can be!
When you really learn to care,
There's a thrill in solitaire!
Keepin' ou of mischief now,
Really am in love, and how!
I'm through playing with fire,
It's you whom I desire!
All the world can plainly see
You're the only one for me!
I've told them in advance
They can't break up our romance!
Living up to every vow,
I'm keepin' out of mischief now!
All the world can plainly see
That you're the only one for me!
Say I've told them, told them in advance
That they can't break up our romance!
Living up to every vow,
I'm keepin', keepin' out of mischief now!
Louis Armstrong's song "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" is a love song that emphasizes on the strength of the love and bond that the singer shares with his lover. In the first verse, the singer declares that he prefers to be at home with his radio and his lover rather than going to a movie without them. His days of flirting around are over and he's committed to his lover for good. In the second verse, he states that he doesn't need any form of excitement to fill his life anymore; books and his lover are enough for him. He also acknowledges that his opinions have changed a great deal, and he's now quite old-fashioned. He further states that solitaire becomes thrilling when you care about someone, reinforcing the fact that he's genuine in his love and devotion.
The chorus of the song, where he repeats the phrase "Keepin' out of mischief now" emphasizes that he's finally turned over a new leaf and is now truly in love. He doesn't want to play with fire anymore, as he's found someone to desire and who desires him. The phrase "All the world can plainly see" repeatedly emphasizes that everyone is aware of the emotional depth the singer shares with his lover, and he's already warned them not to try and break them apart. The final line, "Living up to every vow," puts the emphasis back on his commitment to his lover and his determination to stick to the promises he's made.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't even go to a movie show
I don't want to do anything that isn't with you
If you're not by my side
I don't enjoy anything as much when you're not around
I stay home by my radio
I'd rather stay home and listen to music
But I'm satisfied!
As long as I'm with you, I'm content
All my flirtin' days are gone
I'm no longer interested in playing around with other people
On the level from now on!
I'm serious about our relationship now
Don't go for any excitement now
I don't need anything exciting in my life except for you
Books are my best company
I'm happy being alone with my books
All my opinions have changed somehow
Since I met you, I see things differently
Old-fashioned as can be!
I prefer traditional values
When you really learn to care
Being in love changes how you feel
There's a thrill in solitaire!
Being alone is exciting as long as you're in love
Keepin' ou of mischief now
I'm focused on our relationship
Really am in love, and how!
I'm truly in love with you
I'm through playing with fire
I won't take risks that could hurt our relationship
It's you whom I desire!
You're the one I want
All the world can plainly see
Everyone knows how much I love you
You're the only one for me!
I don't want anyone else but you
I've told them in advance
I've made it clear to everyone
They can't break up our romance!
No one can come between us
Living up to every vow
I'm keeping my promises
I'm keepin' out of mischief now!
I won't do anything that could put our relationship at risk
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDY RAZAF, THOMAS 'FATS' WALLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Quinn W. Johnson
I am here because Elvis Costello said he would want this played at his funeral.
John Frodsham
Yup
Gary Waite
Ditto
John Law
ME TOO
Dick Head
Quinn Johnson Are you kidding? Complete same!! Had to hear it
boomerang905
The best Trumpet player ever. He was always so old to me but now that I'm a senior l realize his soulful genius. My mom and dad met him. Nice man.
honoredutrey
Definitely the best ever.
Butch 78
Super number. What can one say about Louis. How did his unique tone come to be. I've been a jazz fan all my life and first heard him as a kid on Dad's 78s playing with The Hot Five and Seven.
Oumy Neferti
Timeless ❤️
Tad Ulrich
This is the alternate take of this tune from the Satch Plays Fats album. A great song from a great album.