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.
Porgy and Bess: I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nothing's plenty for me
I got no car - got no mule
I got no misery
Folks with plenty of plenty
They've got a lock on the door
Afraid somebody's gonna rob 'em
I got no lock on the door - that's no way to be
They can steal the rug from the floor - that's OK with me
'Cause the things that I prize - like the stars in the skies - are all free
I got plenty of nothing
And nothing's plenty for me
I got my gal - got my song
(I) Got heaven the whole day long
- Got my gal - got my love - got my song
Louis Armstrong's song "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin" is a reflection on the value of material possessions in life. The song speaks about having enough to be content and happy, even if that means having nothing. The opening line, "I got plenty of nothing, and nothing's plenty for me," sets the tone for the rest of the song, emphasizing that happiness and contentment can be found in simplicity.
The following lines describe what he doesn't have - no car, no mule, and no misery. The mention of the latter is interesting because it seems to suggest that even if he were to have possessions, they would only bring him misery. This speaks to the idea that wealth doesn't necessarily equate to happiness.
The next set of lines contrasts those who have "plenty of plenty" who lock their doors to protect their wealth. Armstrong suggests that people with too much are afraid of losing what they have and obsessively focused on acquiring even more. This perspective on consumerism is an important message in the song.
Armstrong goes on to explain that he has no lock on his door, and even if someone were to steal his rug, he wouldn't be bothered by it. This implies that he has nothing worth stealing and that material possessions don't hold much value to him. Instead, he values the intangible things in life like love, music, and the natural world. He reinforces this idea by saying that these things are free, making them more valuable than any material possessions.
The final lines of the song emphasize the love and music that he has in his life, suggesting that he has all he needs to be happy.
Line by Line Meaning
I got plenty of nothing
Despite having no material possessions, I am content and happy.
And nothing's plenty for me
Even though I don't have much, what I do have is enough to satisfy me.
I got no car - got no mule
I don't have luxuries like a car or a mule.
I got no misery
Despite lacking in material possessions, I don't have any problems or worries to weigh me down.
Folks with plenty of plenty
Wealthy people who have an abundance of things.
They've got a lock on the door
These wealthy people are so worried about their possessions being stolen that they have a lock on their door.
Afraid somebody's gonna rob 'em
They are paranoid and fearful that someone might steal from them.
While there out (a) making more - what for
They are so busy trying to accumulate even more wealth that they don't have time to enjoy their current possessions.
I got no lock on the door - that's no way to be
I don't have a lock on my door but I'm not worried about someone stealing from me.
They can steal the rug from the floor - that's OK with me
Even if someone did steal from me, it wouldn't bother me too much because I don't place value on material possessions.
The things that I prize - like the stars in the skies - are all free
The things that I value most in life, such as the beauty of the stars in the sky, don't cost any money.
I got my gal - got my song
I have love and music in my life, which is enough to make me happy.
(I) Got heaven the whole day long
My life is so fulfilling that I feel like I have heaven on earth.
- Got my gal - got my love - got my song
I have all I need in life, which is the love of my significant other and the joy of music.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DU BOSE HEYWARD, GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@denissterzl
Porgy & Bess by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald was my first record back in 1997 when I was 10 years old. I'm so in love with this song in particular. But the whole record itself is a truly classic masterpiece & gem. I'm very thankful for it!
@omegamale7880
That must have seemed new-fangled back in '97.
@denisthemenace9755
It's a used one I bought in a second hand vinyl shop back in 1997. It comes in a cardboard box. I still have it!
@34skidoo1
A masterclass of swing. Absolute masterpiece!
@romekhanys9215
One of the most swinging tunes in jazz. Can't get enough of it. Ella and Louis at their best!
@thomasberendt2894
Eins meiner Lieblingslieder. Und Gershwin finde ich sowieso gut.
@fritzy381
I loved this song when I was a kid. (1970's). brings back so much great memories. thanks ella and louie
@damyen8003
This reminds me of "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
@converse3670
That's my song forevermore!
@jmanza6030
why do i love this style so much