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.
Nobody Knows De Trouble I
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
Sometimes I'm up
And sometimes I'm down
Yes, Lord, you know sometimes I'm almost to the ground
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
If you get there before I do
Oh, yes, Lord, don't forget to
Tell all my friends I'm coming too
Oh, yes, Lord, still
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Nobody knows but Jesus
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
Glory, Hallelujah
Although you see me
Goin' on so, oh, yes
I have my trials here below
Oh, yes, Lord
Louis Armstrong's song "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen" is a powerful and deeply emotional expression of pain, grief, and longing for salvation. The lyrics explore the singer's feelings of loneliness and despair, as they struggle with the trials and tribulations of life, only finding comfort and solace in their faith in Jesus Christ. The repetition of the refrain "Nobody knows but Jesus" emphasizes the idea that the troubles we experience are often deeply personal and can only be understood by a higher power. This song serves as a reminder that even in our darkest moments, we are not alone, and that hope and redemption can be found in our faith.
The first verse of the song is followed by a more upbeat section, where the singer acknowledges the ebbs and flows of life, stating that sometimes they are up and sometimes they are down, but ultimately affirming their belief in Jesus. The final verse speaks to the inevitability of death and the singer's desire to be reunited with their friends in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody knows the trouble I've seen
I've gone through a lot of hardship, but people don't truly understand the extent of it.
Nobody knows but Jesus
Only my faith in Jesus has given me the strength to keep going.
Glory, Hallelujah
Despite my struggles, I still have hope and faith in a better future.
Sometimes I'm up
Occasionally, I feel good and things seem to be going well.
And sometimes I'm down
But other times, I feel like I'm at my lowest point.
Yes, Lord, you know sometimes I'm almost to the ground
At times, my struggles are so overwhelming that I feel like I'm about to fall apart.
If you get there before I do
In case you reach the afterlife before me,
Oh, yes, Lord, don't forget to
Please remember to,
Tell all my friends I'm coming too
Let my loved ones know that I'll be with them later.
Although you see me
Even though I may seem outwardly happy,
Goin' on so, oh, yes
Putting on a brave face,
I have my trials here below
I still have to deal with difficulties and struggles in this life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARVEY FUQUA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@esme8937
Nobody knows
the trouble I've seen;
Nobody knows
My sorrows
Nobody knows
the trouble I've seen
Glory Hallelujah!
Sometimes I'm up,
sometimes I'm down;
O yes Lord.
Sometimes I'm almost to the ground;
O yes Lord.
Nobody knows
the trouble I've seen;
Nobody knows
But Jesus
Nobody
the trouble I've seen;
Glory Hallelujah!
@VoicesofHistory
This song was played at my Father’s funeral in 1968, in California. He died at only 37 years of age. My Dad was a professional trumpet player and U.S. Army Veteran. Today is his 85th birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!!!
@counter-weightmedias2263
Voices of History That's a sad comment, I wish him a happy birthday
@counter-weightmedias2263
Gonzo 1o so he can easily listen to music dumbass
@counter-weightmedias2263
Gonzo 1o He's one man, I've been through hundreds of comments on these types of videos. I'm not saying he's telling the truth because I can't be sure, but he's one and if I was old I'd use this to listen to music.
@TheAto2000
Way more than you'd expect, especially knowing music like this for example from when they were young is available here . For someone who's looking at a song from back then, you sure are disrespectful of older people.
@harrytrotter5267
Gonzo 1o YouTube is for every one.
@gelmir4eva
See the smile on his face before he does his piece? He sings the blues, songs about sadness, love lost and love found and yet he smiles about it. What an inspiration. What a great soul. The world needs more Louis Armstrongs :)
@KyBullet1
The blues are nothing but a good man feeling bad.
@jcmarineservicesofswfl5606
“And yet , I smile “ Ezekiel
@mileswalcott7241
@@KyBullet1God bless you 🙏