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.
Mame
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame
You've got the banjoes strummin' and plunkin' out
A tune to beat the band
Dixie back to Dixieland
You make your Louis feel like the king, Mame
You make the world, we're living in swing, Mame
You make the old magnolia tree
Blossom at the mention of your name
Your special fascination'll prove to be inspirational
I think you're just sensational, Mame
Mame
Mame
Yes, you make your Satchmo feel like a king, Mame
You make the world we're living in swing, Mame
You make the old magnolia tree
Blossom at the mention of your name
Your special fascination'll prove to be inspirational
I think you're just sensational
Yea, sensational, you sensational, Mame
Mame, Mame, Mame
Louis Armstrong's song "Mame" is a tribute to a woman named Mame, who he portrays as a charismatic, musical force of nature. The lyrics describe how Mame has the ability to transform the atmosphere around her with her infectious energy and music. "You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame" suggests that Mame has the ability to take away any sense of sadness or melancholy with her music. In the following line, "You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame," Louis is implying that Mame has the power to make even the most stubborn people relax and enjoy themselves.
Louis goes on to describe how Mame gets everyone moving and grooving with her music. "You've got the banjoes strummin' and plunkin' out" suggests that Mame is skilled at getting everyone to participate and play along with the music she creates. The line "You make the world, we're living in swing, Mame" captures the infectious nature of Mame's energy, and how she transforms the people and environment around her with her musical talent. The last line, "Your special fascination'll prove to be inspirational/I think you're just sensational, Mame" shows that Louis sees Mame as not only talented but also inspiring and uplifting.
Overall, the song is a tribute to Mame's musical talent and her ability to create an atmosphere of joy and positivity wherever she goes. It reflects the way music can have a transformative effect, and how one person's talent can uplift an entire community.
Line by Line Meaning
You coax the blues right out of the horn, Mame
You have the power to create happiness and joy where there wasn't any before
You charm the husk right off of the corn, Mame
You have the ability to make everything beautiful
You've got the banjoes strummin' and plunkin' out
A tune to beat the band
You can make music that is so lively and energetic that it is overwhelming
The whole plantation's hummin' since you brought
Dixie back to Dixieland
Your presence is so influential that you can make a real difference in other people's lives
You make your Louis feel like the king, Mame
You have a special way of making someone feel truly important and valued
You make the world, we're living in swing, Mame
You have the power to make everything exciting and fun
You make the old magnolia tree
Blossom at the mention of your name
Your existence has a profound and positive impact on everything and everyone around you
Your special fascination'll prove to be inspirational
Your unique qualities and talents will inspire others
I think you're just sensational, Mame
You are truly extraordinary and amazing
Mame
Repeating your name is a testament to the significant impact you have on others
Mame
Repeating your name is a testament to the significant impact you have on others
Yes, you make your Satchmo feel like a king, Mame
You have a special way of making someone feel truly important and valued
You make the world we're living in swing, Mame
You have the power to make everything exciting and fun
You make the old magnolia tree
Blossom at the mention of your name
Your existence has a profound and positive impact on everything and everyone around you
Your special fascination'll prove to be inspirational
Your unique qualities and talents will inspire others
I think you're just sensational
You are truly extraordinary and amazing
Yea, sensational, you sensational, Mame
Repeating your positive qualities is a testament to your greatness
Mame, Mame, Mame
Repeating your name is a testament to the significant impact you have on others
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JERRY HERMAN
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