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: โYou canโt play nothing on modern trumpet that doesnโt 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.
My Baby Just Cares for Me
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My baby don't care for clothes
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for furs and laces
My baby don't care for high toned places
My baby don't care for rings
Or other expensive things
My baby don't care who knows it
My baby just cares for me
My baby's no Crosby fan
Dick Tracy is not her man
My baby just cares for me
My baby don't care for Mr. Tibbits
She'd rather have me around to kibitz
Roy Rogers is not her style
And even Clark Gable's smile
Is something that she can't see
(Oh, you lucky so and so)
I wonder what's wrong with baby
My baby just cares for me
The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's song Just for a Thrill describe a love interest who is not materialistic and who values the singer's companionship over any lavish possessions or luxurious experiences. In the first verse, the singer asserts that his love interest doesn't care for flashy shows or expensive clothes, but rather just cares for him, emphasizing the importance of their emotional connection. The following verse reinforces this sentiment by stating that she doesn't care for expensive jewelry or other extravagant gifts and that she is very practical.
The final verse highlights the love interest's unique quirks and interests, citing that she's not a fan of popular entertainers like Bing Crosby or Dick Tracy, and prefers the singer's company over anyone else's. She doesn't care for visiting high-toned places or receiving gifts from Mr. Tibbits, preferring instead to have the singer around to kibitz. The final lines express confusion over what could be wrong with such a perfect partner, ultimately concluding that his baby just cares for him.
Interestingly, the song was originally written for a short film called "Symphony in Black" in which Billie Holiday was set to star. However, due to racial issues the film was never realized but the song eventually became a jazz standard.
Line by Line Meaning
My baby don't care for shows
My partner is not interested in attending events or spectacles.
My baby don't care for clothes
My partner doesn't have a particular interest in fashion or attire.
My baby just cares for me
My partner's main focus is on our relationship and spending time with me.
My baby don't care for furs and laces
My partner doesn't place value on material possessions or extravagant items.
My baby don't care for high toned places
My partner isn't interested in fancy or exclusive venues or establishments.
My baby don't care for rings
My partner isn't impressed by expensive jewelry or other high-end items.
Or other expensive things
Similarly, my partner isn't impressed by other costly or extravagant belongings.
She's sensible as can be
My partner is level-headed and practical in their approach to life.
My baby don't care who knows it
My partner isn't concerned about others knowing about their priorities and interests.
My baby's no Crosby fan
My partner doesn't particularly enjoy Bing Crosby or his music.
Dick Tracy is not her man
My partner isn't really interested in the fictional character of Dick Tracy.
My baby just cares for me
As before, my partner is mainly focused on our relationship together.
My baby don't care for Mr. Tibbits
My partner isn't interested in certain specific people or things, like Mr. Tibbits.
She'd rather have me around to kibitz
Instead, my partner prefers spending time with me and hanging out.
Roy Rogers is not her style
My partner isn't into the cowboy and actor Roy Rogers.
And even Clark Gable's smile
Even Clark Gable, a well-known film star, doesn't impress my partner.
Is something that she can't see
My partner is unaffected by celebrity culture or stardom.
(Oh, you lucky so and so)
This is an aside acknowledging how fortunate someone would be to have a partner like this.
I wonder what's wrong with baby
This is a rhetorical question meant to express confusion or disbelief about how disinterested my partner is in material and cultural things.
My baby just cares for me
As before, my partner's main priority is our relationship.
Lyrics ยฉ DONALDSON PUBLISHING CO, TOBAGO MUSIC COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jannatulroshni9654
2024 anyone?
@robertdobek9181
Beauty Woman.
@withlovtata
meeee
@annabelledeleon502
Yes! And also love listening to this song live, by the Pete Moore and King Creole Band ๐
@stoicthedog
Here, sir. After hearing it earlier while grocery shopping. Unexpected memory jogging bliss.
@04041919
Me...too! Timeless, like Dave Brubeck's Take Five.
@donprincoify
My father used to work at his home-office in the very early hours of the morning when everyone was asleep in the house. He usually played music at such low volume that I sometimes thought I was either dreaming or imagining the sounds. This was one of his favorites. RIP old-man,I miss you.
@melodyal3357
Wow! This is truly beautiful story. I was imagining the scene, in old era, totally different time happening..the family atmosphere.. almost like reading a book when I read this comment. Truly beautiful, I guess Nina Simone and this song will always remind you of those memories taking you back nostalgically but heartfully..๐
@aliceschorbach
โคthis!!๐, so nice!!
@aliceschorbach
โค, beautiful