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.
Mandy Make Up Your Mind
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make up your mind
Preacher man is handy
Mandy, easy to find
Marching down the aisle with you
We'll make them all stare
With a little Black-Eyed Susan
Stuck in your hair
Won't you decide?
Everything is dandy
Mandy, once you are my bride
In a year or two
There may be three of a kind
Listen to me, Mandy
Make up your mind
The song "Mandy, Make Up Your Mind" by Louis Armstrong seems to be a love song about a man named Mandy who can't seem to decide whether or not to marry the singer. The lyrics suggest that the singer is ready and willing to marry Mandy but needs him to make a decision. The mention of a preacher man suggests that a wedding could take place soon. The Black-Eyed Susan in Mandy's hair may symbolize a commitment to love and loyalty.
The lines "In a year or two, there may be three of a kind" imply that the singer wants to start a family with Mandy, suggesting a desire for a long-term commitment rather than just a fling. The repetition of the phrase "Mandy, make up your mind" throughout the song reinforces the singer's frustration with Mandy's indecision.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of urgency and a desire for a committed relationship. The use of simple, straightforward language and the easy-to-sing melody make the song catchy and memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
Mandy, Mandy
Addressing Mandy twice to grab her attention
Make up your mind
Take a decision about marriage
Preacher man is handy
The clergyman is readily available for wedding
Mandy, easy to find
Mandy is not difficult to locate
Marching down the aisle with you
Going together towards the altar
We'll make them all stare
Our sight will attract the attention of the people
With a little Black-Eyed Susan
Decorative flower used by bride in her hair
Stuck in your hair
Inserting it in your hairdo
Mandy, Mandy
Calling Mandy again
Won't you decide?
Will you make a choice?
Everything is dandy
Everything is fine
Mandy, once you are my bride
After wedding, you will be my wife
In a year or two
After some time
There may be three of a kind
It's possible we may have children
Listen to me, Mandy
Pay attention to me, Mandy
Make up your mind
Decide quickly
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLARKE, JOHNSTON, MEYER, TURK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JazzVideoMike
Thank for uploading this - very good sound quality for a 1923 record. I recently learned that Fletcher Henderson's was the first band to play at The Cotton Club when it opened in 1923, before Louis joined them, I believe. I wish your upload had been available online when I created my presentation on The Cotton Club which I uploaded last week. Best wishes Mike
VictrolaJazz
Beautiful version! I missed out on this one on eBay several years ago!
ClarkB
great quality! Thanks!
An Original Username
bruh