Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, … Read Full Bio ↴Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.
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.

Makin' Whoopie
Louis Armstrong Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another bride, another June
Another sunny honeymoon
Another season, another reason
For makin' whoopie

A lot of shoes, lot of rice
The groom is nervous, he answers twice
It's really killin' that he's so willin'

To makin' whoopie

Now picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
Think what a year can bring

Yes, he's washing dishes and baby clothes
He's so ambitious, he even sews
But don't forget folks, that's what you get folks
For makin' whoopie

Another year, maybe less
What's this I hear, well, can you guess?
She feels neglected and he's suspected
Of makin' whoopie

Yes, she sits alone most every night
He doesn't phone, he doesn't write
He says he's busy but she says, "Is he?"
He's makin' whoopie

Now he doesn't make much money
Only five thousand per
Some judge who thinks he's funny
Says you'll pay six to her

He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The judge says, "Budge right into jail"
You'd better keep her, I think it's cheaper
Than makin' whoopie

Yes, yeah, you'd better keep her, I think it's cheaper
Than makin' whoopie

Overall Meaning

Louis Armstrong's iconic song Makin' Whoopie is a tale of love, marriage, and the ups and downs that come with it. The lyrics describe the typical progression of a marriage, from the excitement of the early days to the challenges of daily life. The first verse sets the scene of another bride getting married in June and another sunny honeymoon. The following lines describe how this is just another season and another reason for making whoopie, which is a euphemism for having sex.

The second verse takes a wistful turn, picturing the same love nest where the couple once enjoyed their honeymoon. Now, a year into the marriage, they have settled into their daily routines. The groom is doing household chores such as washing dishes and baby clothes, and even sewing, which shows his ambition to make things work. However, while he is busy doing these things, the wife is feeling neglected and suspicious that her husband is making whoopie with someone else.

The final verse takes a legal turn, in which the married couple is headed for divorce. The groom is earning only five thousand dollars a year and is being ordered to pay six thousand dollars a year in alimony. He asks the judge what will happen if he cannot afford to pay, and the judge says that he will go to jail. The groom, realizing that it's cheaper to keep his wife than to make whoopie with someone else, agrees to pay.

Overall, Makin' Whoopie is a humorous and insightful commentary on the realities of marriage. It accurately shows the excitement and joy of the early days, followed by the challenges of daily life and the need for commitment and dedication.

Line by Line Meaning

Another bride, another June
Yet another wedding in the month of June.

Another sunny honeymoon
The couple is off to enjoy their honeymoon in the sun.

Another season, another reason
Every changing season brings with it a new opportunity to celebrate love.

For makin' whoopie
All of these never-ending weddings and honeymoons must be leading to lots of intimacy.

A lot of shoes, lot of rice
The wedding festivities involve throwing lots of rice and wearing expensive shoes.

The groom is nervous, he answers twice
The groom is so nervous during the wedding ceremony that he accidentally repeats his vows.

It's really killin' that he's so willin'
It's ironic that the groom is so eager to marry even though marriage will eventually lead to hardships.

To makin' whoopie
Intimacy is the ultimate goal of marriage for many couples.

Now picture a little love nest
Try to imagine a cozy little home where a newlywed couple can start their life together.

Down where the roses cling
This dream home must be located near a garden where roses grow healthily.

Picture the same sweet love nest
Imagine the same cozy home after a year of living in it.

Think what a year can bring
It's amazing how much can change in a year - this cute little home could now feel cramped and uncomfortable.

Yes, he's washing dishes and baby clothes
The husband is such a good partner that he helps with household chores including washing dishes and baby clothes.

He's so ambitious, he even sews
He's so involved in taking care of his family that he even knows how to sew.

But don't forget folks, that's what you get folks
These acts of kindness are only the result of the sacrifices that marriage entails.

For makin' whoopie
The hardships and sacrifices that come with marriage is a small price to pay for the intimacy that follows.

Another year, maybe less
The years together may be plenty or maybe not as much.

What's this I hear, well, can you guess?
Rumors of marital problems begin to surface.

She feels neglected and he's suspected
The wife feels ignored and the husband is suspected of being unfaithful.

Of makin' whoopie
The intimacy that once brought them so much joy is now the source of suspicion and resentment.

Yes, she sits alone most every night
The wife now spends most of her nights alone.

He doesn't phone, he doesn't write
The husband no longer contacts his wife and doesn't check on her.

He says he's busy but she says, "Is he?"
The husband claims to be busy, but the wife suspects that he's up to no good.

He's makin' whoopie
The husband is indeed engaging in sexual activities with someone else.

Now he doesn't make much money
The husband doesn't earn much money at all.

Only five thousand per
His meager salary is only five thousand dollars per year.

Some judge who thinks he's funny
A judge who thinks he's witty presides over the couple's divorce case.

Says you'll pay six to her
The judge decides that the husband must pay six thousand dollars to his ex-wife.

He says, "Now judge, suppose I fail?"
The husband pleads with the judge, asking what will happen if he can't afford to pay the alimony.

The judge says, "Budge right into jail"
The judge replies that the husband will be thrown into jail if he doesn't pay the alimony.

You'd better keep her, I think it's cheaper
The judge advises the husband to keep his wife and stay married - it's much cheaper than paying alimony.

Than makin' whoopie
The judge suggests that the husband should work on repairing his marriage instead of seeking out other sexual partners.

Yes, yeah, you'd better keep her, I think it's cheaper
The judge repeats his advice that the husband should stay married as it is less troublesome than seeking out sexual satisfaction elsewhere.

Contributed by Bella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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