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 Sweet
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Ain't got that glamour touch
You're trifling lazy
Ain't worth a cigarette ash
Look out here mamma
Look out here
You carry me too fast
You're just my good for nothin'
My sweet hunk o' trash
(My, my how you sound)
You're very short on looks
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Dumb, when it comes to books
(Look out, baby, watch it, honey)
And you stay full of corn just like succotash
(What you want me to do in my idle moments)
You're just a good for nothin'
But my sweet hunk o' trash
(Let me get a word in there honey, you running your mouth)
You said I've worried you for years
I'm just a barfly moochin' beers
While you sweat over a hot stove slinging hash
(Work my fingers right down to the elbows)
Yes I may be good for nothin'
But I'm still your sweet hunk o' trash
(First to admit it baby)
You said I spread my love all around
And with the chicks all over town
But, how can I when you keep me broke?
So I can't spend no cash
Yes I may be good for nothin'
But I'm still your sweet hunk o' trash
Listen here pops
You know you lie about your youth
(I don't lie baby)
I'm just careless with the truth, that's all
(How careless can you be)
Oh, no
With all your chicks
You try to make a flash
(Now baby, it ain't like that, no)
But you're still my good for nothin'
My sweet hunk o' trash
Now when you stay out very late
It sure makes me mad to wait
(How come, baby)
'Cause, you come home too tired
To raise just one eyelash
(Watch it baby, watch it)
You're just good for nothin'
But you're my sweet hunk o' trash
(Yes indeed)
Louis Armstrong's "My Sweet Hunk O'trash" is a song about a man who admits to being a good-for-nothing and lazy individual who lacks the qualities of charm and intelligence. Despite his shortcomings, he declares his love and loyalty to his partner, who he refers to as "mamma." The lyrics reflect the societal expectations of gender roles and traditional views of masculinity. The man admits to being a "barfly moochin' beers" while his partner is "sweating over a hot stove slinging hash." The song implies that despite the man's flaws and inability to provide, his love for his partner remains strong.
The song also has a playful tone with back and forth banter between the man and his partner. The man defends himself against accusations of infidelity by saying he can't spend any cash as she keeps him broke, suggesting he's a loyal but broke partner.
Overall, "My Sweet Hunk O'trash" is a commentary on love and relationships, societal expectations and traditional gender roles. It suggests that love transcends societal norms and gender roles.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't act up too much
You're not particularly extravagant or overly dramatic in your behavior.
Ain't got that glamour touch
You don't possess that special quality that makes someone particularly appealing or glamorous.
You're trifling lazy
You have a tendency to be idle and not put forth much effort.
Ain't worth a cigarette ash
You have no value whatsoever.
Look out here mamma
Be careful what you say or do.
Look out here
Be alert and aware of your surroundings.
You carry me too fast
You're moving too quickly for me to keep up.
Watch it, baby
Be cautious and careful in what you do.
You're just my good for nothin'
You don't have much value or worth to me.
My sweet hunk o' trash
Despite your shortcomings, I still care for you.
You're very short on looks
You're not particularly attractive.
Dumb, when it comes to books
You're not particularly intelligent or well-educated.
And you stay full of corn just like succotash
You talk a lot of nonsense and have nothing of value to say.
You're just a good for nothin'
You don't have much worth or value.
But my sweet hunk o' trash
Despite your shortcomings, I still care for you.
You said I've worried you for years
You've been concerned about me for a long time.
I'm just a barfly moochin' beers
I spend a lot of time in bars and rely on others to buy me drinks.
While you sweat over a hot stove slinging hash
You work hard in the kitchen preparing food.
Yes I may be good for nothin'
I don't have much worth or value.
But I'm still your sweet hunk o' trash
Despite my shortcomings, you still care for me.
You said I spread my love all around
You believe that I cheat on you.
And with the chicks all over town
You think I'm involved with many women.
But, how can I when you keep me broke?
I don't have the money to pursue other relationships.
So I can't spend no cash
I don't have the money to spend even if I wanted to.
Listen here pops
Listen to me, my friend.
You know you lie about your youth
You're not truthful about your age.
I'm just careless with the truth, that's all
I'm not intentionally lying, but I'm not always truthful either.
With all your chicks
With all the women you're involved with.
You try to make a flash
You try to impress others or make a big show of things.
You're just good for nothin'
You don't have much worth or value.
But you're my sweet hunk o' trash
Despite your shortcomings, I still care for you.
Now when you stay out very late
When you're out all night or very late.
It sure makes me mad to wait
It makes me angry to have to wait for you.
'Cause, you come home too tired
You're exhausted and unable to do anything when you come home.
To raise just one eyelash
You're too tired to even make an effort.
You're just good for nothin'
You don't have much worth or value.
But you're my sweet hunk o' trash
Despite your shortcomings, I still care for you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FLOURNOY E MILLER, JAMES P. JOHNSON
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