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.
Sweet As A Song
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Mama you're sweet as a song
For you possess
All the warm tenderness of "Auld Lang Syne"
You′re sweet as a June
Serenade to moon
You'll always be like the quaint harmony of "Sweet Adeline"
Oh, you're sweet as a song
Mama, you′re sweet as a song
You′re choras of "Trees"
You're lovely reprise of "Kiss Me Again"
Now darling when you′re in my arm
There's nothing could go wrong
As long as you remain
A haunting refrain
You′re sweet as a song
Louis Armstrong's song, "Sweet As A Song," is a beautiful tribute to a woman who is very dear to him - his mother, Mama. The song is essentially a love letter to Mama, with Armstrong describing all the amazing things that he loves about her. He compares Mama's sweet nature to the warmth and tenderness of the New Year's Eve classic "Auld Lang Syne," and compares her beauty to a beautiful June serenade to the moon. Armstrong goes on to say that Mama will always be as sweet and quaint as the harmony of the famous barbershop quartet song "Sweet Adeline."
Armstrong uses several musical references throughout the song to convey just how amazing Mama is. He mentions the choral beauty of "Trees" and the lovely reprise of "Kiss Me Again" to compare her to songs that are universally beautiful and beloved. Armstrong's final message in the song is one of pure joy - when he's with Mama, he feels like he can conquer the world. Everything feels right as long as her soothing presence is near, like a melodic refrain that stays with you long after the song has ended.
Overall, "Sweet As A Song" is a beautiful tribute to a remarkable woman. Armstrong's rich, soulful voice and stirring lyrics perfectly capture the depth of his love for Mama, and make the song an enduring classic that still resonates with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
Mmm you're sweet as a song
You exude a delightful sweetness, just like the appeal of music.
Mama you're sweet as a song
My dear, you possess a charm that is akin to the beauty of music.
For you possess All the warm tenderness of "Auld Lang Syne"
You possess all the warmth and tenderness reminiscent of the past and of cherished memories.
You're sweet as a June Serenade to moon
You are delightful and pleasing in the same way that a romantic ballad sung under moonlight in June would be.
You'll always be like the quaint harmony of "Sweet Adeline"
Your charm is timeless and will forever be enchanting, much like the classic harmony in 'Sweet Adeline.'
Oh, you're sweet as a song Mama, you're sweet as a song
Your loveliness is comparable to that of a beautiful tune, reaching into the depths of my heart.
You're chorus of "Trees" You're lovely reprise of "Kiss Me Again"
Your beauty and graciousness are comparable to the melody of 'Trees' and the romantic tune of 'Kiss Me Again.'
Now darling when you're in my arm There's nothing could go wrong As long as you remain A haunting refrain
When I'm with you, everything feels right, and my love for you will forever be a memorable and haunting melody.
You're sweet as a song
You are incredibly delightful, and your charm is akin to the sweetness of a beautiful melody.
Writer(s): Harry Revel, Mack Gordon
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@martintanksley3561
Love his muted solo, the vocal, the band does a Lombdoish sound.......a overlooked gem...4 STARS!!!!
@AustinCasey
Imagine being in the studio while they were recording this!
@martintanksley3561
January 1938.........the trip on the plain would about $38 ($500 now); candy bars ar a nickle and you CAN buy a used car for $25.......
@martintanksley3561
@Austin Casey I would LOVE that......would NEVER forget it....
@brucenicholls854
A friend of mine asked the great late clarinetist Kenny Davern who the "MAN" overall in jazz was and Kenny said, "Louis Armstrong, of course !"
@martintanksley3561
ALSO dig the OTHER side "The Trumpet Players Lament: got the disc ;)...