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.
Rock My Soul
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
I would not be a sinner
I'm tellin' you the reason why
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
Great God, and I wouldn't be ready to die
Hmm, baby, won't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
I would not be a liar
I'm tellin' you the reason why
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
Great God, and I wouldn't be ready to die
Hmm, baby, won't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
I would not be a back biter
I'm tellin' you the reason why
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
Great God, and I wouldn't be ready to die
Hmm, baby, won't rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
Rock my soul, rock my soul
The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's song "Rock My Soul" are a plea to God to save the singer's soul. The repeated phrase "why don't you rock my soul?" is a reference to the traditional African American spirituals which were sung in churches during the time of slavery. The "bosom of Abraham" refers to the afterlife, implying that the singer wants to be saved and spend eternity in heaven.
The singer mentions that they would not want to be a sinner, liar or back biter, as they fear that they would not be ready to die if the Lord called them. This suggests a level of moral and religious conviction as the singer understands the consequences of their actions and the importance of being prepared for the afterlife. The repetition of the phrase "rock my soul" at the end of each stanza emphasizes the importance and urgency of their plea to be saved by God.
The song is a testament to the deep faith and religious beliefs of African Americans during the time of segregation and discrimination in America. It speaks to the fears and hopes of a people who were often denied basic human rights and subject to brutal violence. Through their belief in God, they found solace and strength to endure the oppressive conditions they faced.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you rock my soul?
The singer is asking to be comforted and strengthened in their faith.
(In the bosom of Abraham)
The singer is referencing a biblical metaphor for a state of rest and peace in the afterlife.
Oh, rock my soul
The singer repeats their request for comfort and strength.
I would not be a sinner
The artist expresses their desire to live a moral and righteous life.
I'm tellin' you the reason why
The artist is offering an explanation for their desire to live a moral life.
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
The singer is expressing their fear of being judged by God.
Great God, and I wouldn't be ready to die
The singer is expressing their fear of not being prepared for the afterlife.
Hmm, baby, won't you rock my soul?
The artist is again asking for comfort and strength in their faith.
I would not be a liar
The artist expresses their desire to be truthful in their dealings with others.
I'm tellin' you the reason why
The artist is offering an explanation for their desire to be truthful.
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
The singer is expressing their fear of being judged by God.
Great God, and I wouldn't be ready to die
The artist is expressing their fear of not being prepared for the afterlife.
Hmm, baby, won't you rock my soul?
The singer is again asking for comfort and strength in their faith.
I would not be a back biter
The singer expresses their desire to not speak ill of others behind their backs.
I'm tellin' you the reason why
The singer is offering an explanation for their desire to not be a back biter.
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
The artist is expressing their fear of being judged by God.
Great God, and I wouldn't be ready to die
The artist is expressing their fear of not being prepared for the afterlife.
Hmm, baby, won't rock my soul?
The singer is again asking for comfort and strength in their faith.
Oh, rock my soul
The singer repeats their request for comfort and strength.
Rock my soul, rock my soul
The artist repeats their request for comfort and strength.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Huey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shania Johnson
I love this version!
Deana Schmidt
Love me some Louis Armstrong. Love ROCK MY SOUL
Dakota Bull
Beautiful!
n00se
[3x:]
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
I would not be a sinner
I'm tellin' you the reason why
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
Great God and I wouldn't be ready to die
Hmm, baby won't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
I would not be a liar
I'm tellin' you the reason why
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
Great God and I wouldn't be ready to die
Hmm, baby won't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
I would not be a back biter
I'm tellin' you the reason why
I'm afraid my Lord might call me
Great God and I wouldn't be ready to die
Hmm, baby won't rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Why don't you rock my soul?
(In the bosom of Abraham)
Oh, rock my soul
Rock my soul, rock my soul
pierre Ngambo
why don't you o Lord, rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham?