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.
Little On
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
Say nighty-night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Stars fading but I linger on, dear (oh, how you linger on)
Still craving your kiss (how you crave my kiss)
Now I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear
Just saying this (give me a little kiss)
Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
Stars fading but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
Yeah, I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear
Just saying this
Sweet dreams, dreamin', 'til sunbeams find you
Keep dreaming
Gotta keep dreaming, leave your worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
You've gotta make me a promise (oh yes), promise to me
You'll dream, dream a little dream of me
The lyrics of Louis Armstrong’s Dream a Little Dream of Me offer a romantic invitation to the person he loves to dream of him when they are alone at night. The songwriter begins the song by referencing the stars and the night breeze and invites the listener to dream of him, asking them to imagine the birds singing in the sycamore tree. He continues by asking them to hold him tight and tell him they’ll miss him before they fall asleep.
The second verse conveys the songwriter's own longing for the embrace of his loved one. His desire for more time with his lover is portrayed as he requests another kiss before they part ways. He goes on to wish his beloved sweet dreams and reminds them to dream of him, making the promise of his own presence in their dreams.
The final verse of the song reiterates the desire for dreams of love in the mind of the person being addressed. It’s clear that the writer believes that dreams can be powerful, magical things that provide comfort and solace when his lover is far away.
Overall, the song’s lyrics are a timeless invitation to long nights spent dreaming of romantic love.
Line by Line Meaning
Stars shining bright above you
The beauty of the stars above you is clear and evident.
Night breezes seem to whisper, I love you
The gentle whispers of the night-time breeze carry a message of love for you.
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
The birds singing in the sycamore tree add to the peacefulness and beauty of the night.
Dream a little dream of me
Allow yourself to slip into a pleasant dream with thoughts of me.
Say nighty-night and kiss me
Bid me goodnight with a kiss to show your affection.
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
Embrace me closely while expressing your desire for my presence.
While I'm alone and blue as can be
In my loneliness, I feel melancholy and sad.
Dream a little dream of me
Take some time to imagine and dream about me to help bring comfort to my loneliness.
Stars fading but I linger on, dear (oh, how you linger on)
Although the stars may be disappearing, I remain here, still enamored with you.
Still craving your kiss (how you crave my kiss)
I still yearn for your loving embrace and the feeling it brings.
Now I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear
I wish that I could stay with you throughout the night, until the sun rises.
Just saying this (give me a little kiss)
I express these feelings to you, hoping that you might grant me one last kiss.
Sweet dreams 'til sunbeams find you
Wishing you peaceful and positive dreams until sunlight reaches you.
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
Dreams that let you forget all your worries and find comfort.
But in your dreams whatever they be
Regardless of what you dream, remember that I am always here for you.
Dream a little dream of me
Let me share in your dreams, even just for a short time, to strengthen our bond.
Stars fading but I linger on, dear
Even as the stars disappear, my feelings for you continue to persist.
Still craving your kiss
I still long for your embrace, and the connection it brings us.
Yeah, I'm longing to linger 'til dawn, dear
I wish I could spend the whole night with you, savoring every moment together.
Just saying this
I'm expressing my love and devotion to you, and my desire to spend more time with you.
Sweet dreams, dreamin', 'til sunbeams find you
Keep on dreaming positive, happy dreams until daylight finds you.
Keep dreaming
Allow yourself to keep dreaming, without worry or fear, to bring you solace and relaxation.
Gotta keep dreaming, leave your worries behind you
It's important to keep dreaming and focusing on what brings you happiness, without letting worry sway or deter you.
But in your dreams whatever they be
I'll be present in your thoughts, dreaming alongside you, creating further connection.
You've gotta make me a promise (oh yes), promise to me
Promising you'll dream of me allows us to strengthen our bond and trust in one another's care and loyalty.
You'll dream, dream a little dream of me
Allow yourself time to dream with thoughts of me, fostering feelings of love and connection.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fabian Andre, Gus Kahn, Wilbur Schwandt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world