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: āYou canāt play nothing on modern trumpet that doesnāt 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.
Sitting in the Sun
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Fanned by a summer breeze
Sweeter than the honey is countin' my money
Those greenbacks on the trees
Comes a summer shower, drops o' rain falling
Sweeter than Christmas chimes
Hearing those jingles upon the roof shingles
Like pennies, nickels and dimes
Fields of gold that I behold are in my bank account
Yeah, sittin' in the sun, countin' my money
Happy as I can be
And to top it all
When shadows fall
I look to heaven and I see
There's a silver dollar in the sky
Shining down on me
Yeah, sittin' in the sun, countin' my money
Happy as I can be, yes
And to top it all
When shadows fall
I look to heaven and I see
There's a silver dollar in the sky
It's shining, shining, shining down on me
The song "Sitting in the Sun" by Louis Armstrong talks about the joy of having money and the happiness that it brings. The opening line "Sittin' in the sun, countin' my money" sets the tone for the rest of the song which describes the feeling of being rich and content. The line "Those greenbacks on the trees" metaphorically refers to the wealth that the singer possesses while "Sweeter than the honey" stresses on how satisfying it feels to be able to accumulate money.
The next stanza talks about the beauty of nature. The line "Comes a summer shower, drops o' rain falling" brings in the theme of rain which is often associated with growth and prosperity. It also emphasizes on the beauty of the sounds of rain which is "sweeter than Christmas chimes." The sound of rain on the roof is compared to the sound of pennies, nickels and dimes falling which is also pleasant to the ears.
The following stanza reinforces the theme of wealth by saying that fields of gold that the singer can see are not in the fields but in his bank account. The line "Tho' it's known that what I own is not a large amount" suggests that it might not be a grand amount of money but the satisfaction it brings is enormous. The lines "And to top it all, when shadows fall, I look to heaven and I see, there's a silver dollar in the sky" talk about how the singer keeps discovering new ways of wealth and this time it's the silver dollar in the sky that brings him joy.
Overall, the song emphasizes the idea of finding happiness in small things and how being content with what you have can be the key to true happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' in the sun, countin' my money
I am sitting outside in the warmth, carefully calculating and keeping track of my wealth
Fanned by a summer breeze
The wind is gently blowing, providing a comforting and pleasant sensation
Sweeter than the honey is countin' my money
The experience of counting my money is enjoyable and gratifying, just like the taste of honey
Those greenbacks on the trees
The leaves on the trees appear green and vibrant, reminiscent of the color of American currency
Comes a summer shower, drops o' rain falling
A light rain begins to fall during the summertime, making the atmosphere fresh and rejuvenating
Sweeter than Christmas chimes
The sound of the raindrops hitting various surfaces creates a musical sound akin to church bells ringing during the holiday season
Hearing those jingles upon the roof shingles
The sound of the raindrops is reminiscent of the ringing of coins on a hard surface
Like pennies, nickels and dimes
The sound of the raindrops is similar to the clinking of coins of various denominations
Tho' it's known that what I own is not a large amount
Despite the knowledge that my wealth is not substantial, the experience of enjoying it is just as valuable
Fields of gold that I behold are in my bank account
Although there are no physical fields of gold, the money in my bank account represents a figurative abundance of wealth
Yeah, sittin' in the sun, countin' my money
Once again, I am enjoying my wealth in a pleasant outdoor setting
Happy as I can be
I am completely content and satisfied with my current situation
And to top it all
As if my current happiness wasn't enough
When shadows fall
As the night approaches and the sun sets
I look to heaven and I see
I gaze upwards towards the sky and notice
There's a silver dollar in the sky
The moon appears like a large silver coin in the sky
Shining down on me
The brightness of the moon's light radiates and is directed towards me
Writer(s): Irving Berlin
Contributed by Caroline O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@aspiringrootwoman24
this is a nice surprise. i was looking for the Sam Cooke version not knowing this even existed. It's charming <3
@erictaylor5462
Sittin in the sun, counting my money-
Well that didn't take long.
Probably to Louis Armstrong all day!
@jeffreypolitano5503
Satchmo...is da shit.
@johnphillips519
Satchmo is the greatestšš