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.
My Bucket's Got a Hole In It
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hmm, the bucket's got a hole in it
The bucket's got a hole in it
And we can't buy no more beer
I said the bucket's got a hole in it
It's too bad, the bucket's got a hole in it
Yeah, man, the bucket's got a hole in it
It's after hours and you can't get in
It's after hours and you can't get in
We close at nine and now it's half past ten
Oh honey would you [Incomprehensible]
Louis Armstrong's song My Bucket's Got a Hole In It is a blues song that tells a tale of woe with a humorous edge. It is about a man who has a bucket that he uses to buy and transport beer. Unfortunately, the bucket has a hole in it, which means that the beer will spill out before he gets home. The man laments this with the repeated refrain "the bucket's got a hole in it," emphasizing his frustration and disappointment.
The song's lyrics are not just a complaint about a faulty bucket but can also be seen as a commentary on poverty and the challenges of making do with what one has. The singer cannot afford to buy a new bucket, let alone more beer, and so must find a way to cope with the situation. The repeated line "we can't buy no more beer" highlights this sense of financial hardship, while the final line "honey would you [Incomprehensible]" suggests that the man is turning to his partner for comfort in the face of adversity.
Despite the song's ironic tone, it speaks to the resilience and resourcefulness of those who must confront difficult circumstances. It is a reminder that even in the midst of hardship, people can still find joy and humor in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the bucket's got a hole in it
The container for beverages has been damaged.
Hmm, the bucket's got a hole in it
The situation is unfortunate and problematic.
The bucket's got a hole in it
The receptacle for liquids is not functional.
And we can't buy no more beer
There is no possibility of acquiring additional alcoholic beverages.
I said the bucket's got a hole in it
I am reiterating that the beverage container is damaged.
It's too bad, the bucket's got a hole in it
It is unfortunate that the receptacle for drinks is broken.
Yeah, man, the bucket's got a hole in it
I concur that the container for beverages has a defect.
Somebody better run [Incomprehensible]
It is imperative that someone takes action to address this situation.
It's after hours and you can't get in
The establishment is no longer open to patrons.
It's after hours and you can't get in
The establishment is no longer open to patrons.
We close at nine and now it's half past ten
The establishment's hours of operation have concluded and it is now well past closing time.
Oh honey would you [Incomprehensible]
An expression of frustration that the situation cannot be rectified.
Contributed by Hunter S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Wolfhoundersful
Oh, the bucket's got a hole in it
Hmm, the bucket's got a hole in it
The bucket's got a hole in it
And we can't buy no more beer
I said the bucket's got a hole in it
It's too bad, the bucket's got a hole in it
Yeah, man, the bucket's got a hole in it
Somebody better run to the store
Keep on knocking but you can't come in [3x]
Another mule in the stall
It's after hours and you can't get in
It's after hours and you can't get in
We close at nine and now it's half past ten
Oh honey would you
@koko-pu5vn
Love Louis here!! He always surrounded himself with great musicians like Earl Hines and Jack Teagarden.
Great classic jazz will never die!!!! Thank you Mr. Armstrong!!!!
@fredalt
there's nothing frustrating about this song It's FULL OF SPIRIT! It"s WONDERFUL!!
@chilck
"...maybe someone likes it"? Gotta be kidding! This is by far the best version of this song that Satchmo ever recorded.
@jdrago2148
4 minutes of gold.
@JuanFecit
Maravilloso, muchisimas gracias.
@ab77blues
Thank you for uploading. I've been looking for a 'clean' copy of this for a long time.
@fillra
Thankyou, Praguedive, I really like this lazy number. According to the "michaelminn armstrong" discography, "With the advent of the long-playing record, Louis has a first-time opportunity to record full-length tracks of many of the old favorites, much longer than the three or four minutes traditionally allotted for a 'single'." Armstrong, Louis (Trumpet, Vocal)Teagarden, Jack (Trombone, Vocal)Bigard, Barney (Clarinet) Hines, Earl (Piano) Shaw, Arvell (Bass) Cole, Cozy (Drums)
@howardbenoit7474
awesome thank
@LockeySniper
Damn right someone likes it
@douglove2412
Hank’s version is country blues swing, Sonny Burgess’ version is rockabilly rockin’, Van Morrison’s version is country rock. This Sachmo version is sweet, lazy, Soul Blues! Love em all!