Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, … Read Full Bio ↴Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6, 1971) nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.
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.

So Little Time
Louis Armstrong Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's so little time and so much to do
There's so little time for dreams to come true
Many a ship to sail, many a magic land
Many a moonlit trail, many a road to walk hand in hand

There's songs of love we never have sung
Let's not waste one hour, the night is still young
Mama, a lifetime's not enough for the love I have for you

There's so little time, so much to do

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Louis Armstrong's song "So Little Time" speaks to the fleeting nature of time and the importance of living life to the fullest. The opening line, "There's so little time and so much to do," immediately sets up the theme of time being limited and precious. Throughout the song, Armstrong lists off various opportunities and adventures that life has to offer, from sailing ships and exploring magic lands, to walking hand in hand on moonlit trails. He acknowledges that there are even more experiences waiting to be had that we may never get the chance to experience.

The lyrics take a more personal turn as Armstrong sings, "There's songs of love we never have sung." This can be interpreted as missed opportunities or regrets for not expressing love or affection to the people we care for. Armstrong emphasizes the importance of not wasting time and advises to make the most of the present moment, as he sings, "Let's not waste one hour, the night is still young." The song ends on a heartfelt note with Armstrong expressing his love for his mother, acknowledging that even a lifetime is not enough time to fully express the love he has for her.

Overall, the lyrics of "So Little Time" are a gentle reminder that time is precious and it's important to make the most of the time we have, particularly when it comes to our relationships with loved ones. It encourages listeners to seize opportunities and not let the fear of the unknown hold us back.

Line by Line Meaning

There's so little time and so much to do
There never seems to be enough time to accomplish everything that needs to be done, and there's always more to do.

There's so little time for dreams to come true
It seems as though dreams are constantly out of reach due to the limited time available to make them happen.

Many a ship to sail, many a magic land
There are countless opportunities to explore and new experiences to have, each with its own sense of wonder and excitement.

Many a moonlit trail, many a road to walk hand in hand
There are many paths to choose from in life, each with its own beauty and challenges, and it's best to have someone to share the journey with.

There's songs of love we never have sung
There are so many things we never have the chance to say or express, especially when it comes to love and affection towards others.

Let's not waste one hour, the night is still young
It's important to make the most of every moment and not take any time for granted, especially when it feels like there's so little of it left.

Mama, a lifetime's not enough for the love I have for you
The amount of love one feels for someone else can never truly be measured or expressed, as it's so vast and immeasurable.

There's so little time, so much to do
The repetition of this line emphasizes the overwhelming feeling of constantly being on the go and never having enough time for everything that needs to be done.

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: PETER DE ROSE, WILLIAM BILLY HILL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS