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.
Santa Claus Blues
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gifts I'm preparing for some Christmas sharing
But I pause because
Hanging my stocking I can hear a knocking
Is that you, Santa Claus?
Sure is dark out, ain't the slightest spark out
'Pon my clackin' jaw
Who's there, who is it stopping for a visit?
Are you bringing a present for me
Something pleasantly pleasant for me?
Then it's just what I've been waiting for
Would you mind slipping it under the door?
Cold winds are howling, or could that be growling?
My legs feel like straws
My-my, oh me-my, kindly will you reply?
Is that you, Santa Claus?
Yes, hanging the stocking, I can hear a knocking
Is that you, Santa Claus?
I say, who's there, who is it, are you stopping for a visit?
Is that you, Santa Claus?
Oh there, Santa, you gave me a scare
Now stop teasing 'cause I know you're there
We don't believe in no goblins today
But I can't explain why I'm shaking that way
Bet I can see ole Santa in the keyhole
I'll get to the cause
One peek and I'll try there, oh oh, there's an eye there
Is that you, Santa Claus?
Please, please, pity my knees
Say that's you, Santa Claus, that's him all right
The lyrics "Zat You Santa Claus?" by Louis Armstrong describe the anxious anticipation of the singer waiting for Santa Claus to arrive at their home. They are preparing gifts to share on Christmas but are interrupted by a knocking sound while hanging their stocking. They wonder if it's Santa Claus and ask who's there, anticipating his arrival. The singer's fears grow with the cold winds that howl outside their window, creating unsettling sounds. They also mention feeling as if their legs are like straws and they're shaking all over as they wait for the person knocking to reveal their identity. Finally, they are relieved when they identify the one knocking as Santa Claus, who they had been eagerly waiting for.
The song is relatable as it reflects the excitement experienced by children during the Christmas period, eagerly awaiting for Santa Claus to come and deliver presents. Rather than explicitly portraying the arrival of Santa Claus, the song creates an atmosphere of suspense through the use of sound effects such as the knocking and howling wind, which creates a sense of unease. The song reflects the importance of traditional beliefs about Santa Claus arriving in secret to deliver gifts, fulfilling children's desires during the festive season.
Line by Line Meaning
Is that you, Santa Claus?
I hear a knocking while I'm hanging my stocking and I wonder if it's Santa Claus.
Gifts I'm preparing for some Christmas sharing
I'm getting ready to share gifts with others this Christmas.
But I pause because
I hesitate for a moment because I hear a strange noise.
Sure is dark out, ain't the slightest spark out
It's very dark outside and there's not a single light on.
'Pon my clackin' jaw
I feel scared and my jaw is chattering.
Who's there, who is it stopping for a visit?
I wonder who is knocking and if they're visiting me.
Are you bringing a present for me
Something pleasantly pleasant for me?
I'm hoping Santa Claus brings me a nice gift this year.
Then it's just what I've been waiting for
Would you mind slipping it under the door?
If Santa has a gift for me, I'd like him to leave it under the door for me to find.
Cold winds are howling, or could that be growling?
My legs feel like straws
My-my, oh me-my, kindly will you reply?
The sound of the wind is making me nervous and my legs feel weak - I'm hoping Santa will answer me soon.
Oh there, Santa, you gave me a scare
Now stop teasing 'cause I know you're there
Santa scared me, but I realize now that he's just playing a prank.
We don't believe in no goblins today
But I can't explain why I'm shaking that way
We don't believe in scary creatures like goblins, but I'm still scared for some reason.
Bet I can see ole Santa in the keyhole
I'll get to the cause
One peek and I'll try there, oh oh, there's an eye there
Is that you, Santa Claus?
I think I see Santa in the keyhole, so I'm going to check it out - and sure enough, there's an eye looking back at me.
Please, please, pity my knees
Say that's you, Santa Claus, that's him all right
I'm so scared that I can hardly stand, but Santa reassures me that it's really him and I feel better.
Lyrics © BROUDE BROTHERS LIMITED
Written by: JACK FOX
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