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 Savannah Sue
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Around my heart you cling
Sweet Savannah Sue
Well, it's a-ding-a-linging
Got you all day through
I'll sing it
If you don't know how much I think of you
Stars are shinin' bright
Moon is full tonight
or winkin'
Lover's lane is right
My honey, oh, you know what I'm thinking
I'll walk with you
which should be hunky-dory
And a kiss would be, be a trip to glory
So that's nothin' new
I'm telling you
You know it's true
Oh, honey
Never in old Savannah ever was there a grander time
I'm a-mean to say, I love you
Sweet Savannah Sue
The song Sweet Savannah Sue by Louis Armstrong is a love song where the singer expresses his feelings for his love interest named Savannah Sue. He describes how she has taken hold of his heart and thoughts, and he cannot stop thinking about her. The lyrics convey how he wants to spend time with her, take walks together, and give her a kiss, which would be a trip to glory. The singer also mentions how the stars are shining bright, and the moon is full tonight, making it the perfect romantic night to express his emotions. He ends the song by professing his love to Savannah Sue, declaring that never in old Savannah has there ever been a grander time, and that he loves her.
The lyrics of this song capture the essence of how love can make someone feel; it has a sweet and romantic vibe to it. The use of metaphors like "a trip to glory" and "around my heart you cling" adds a poetic touch to the lyrics, making it more compelling. The reference to the stars and moon further enhances the romantic atmosphere, making it a perfect love song.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, sweet Savannah Sue
My dearest beloved, the name Savannah Sue represents your beauty and loveliness.
Around my heart you cling
My affection towards you is strong and unyielding.
Sweet Savannah Sue, well it's a-ding-a-linging
Whenever I think of you, my heart beats fervently with excitement and joy.
Got you all day through, I'll sing it
You're always on my mind, and I want to express my feelings through the music of my voice.
If you don't know how much I think of you
My love for you is almost beyond words, and I don't know how else to show it.
Stars are shinin' bright or blinkin'
Nature itself seems to be proclaiming the beauty of our love by shining its light.
Moon is full tonight or winkin'
The full moon is like a witness to our affection, winking in acknowledgement of our passion.
Lover's lane is right, my honey, oh, you know what I'm thinking
My thoughts are focused on our future together, walking and dreaming together along the romantic paths of lover's lane.
I'll walk with you which should be hunky-dory
I want to walk with you through life, facing challenges and enjoying the good times side by side.
And a kiss would be, be a trip to glory
A single kiss from you would elevate me to a state of ecstasy and joy, making my heart sing with elation.
So that's nothin' new, I'm telling you, you know it's true
My feelings for you are not a secret, and I want to reaffirm my love, as nothing has changed my feelings for you.
Never in old Savannah ever was there a grander time
Our love is special, and nothing before in Savannah or elsewhere can match its grandeur and beauty.
I'm a-mean to say, I love you
I want to express in clearer words my feelings, that I love you unconditionally and forever.
Sweet Savannah Sue
Once again, I want to emphasize the beauty and loveliness of my dearest beloved, Savannah Sue.
Contributed by Adeline L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
n00se
Oh, sweet Savannah Sue
Around my heart you cling
Sweet Savannah Sue
Well, it's a-ding-a-linging
Got you all day through
I'll sing it
If you don't know how much I think of you
Stars are shinin' bright
Or blinkin'
Moon is full tonight
Or winkin'
Lover's lane is right
My honey, oh, you know what I'm thinking
I'll walk with you
Which should be hunky-dory
And a kiss would be, be a trip to glory
So that's nothin' new
I'm telling you
You know it's true
Oh, honey
Never in old Savannah ever was there a grander time
I'm a-mean to say, I love you
Sweet Savannah Sue
Thomas .Hennessey
Recorded with what had been up to that time Carroll Dickerson's Orchestra. This was the big band that Louis played in live for the last couple of years he was in Chicago. The Hot 5 and 7 were actually all-star recording bands that only made a few live appearances, mostly at events sponsored by the Okeh Record Company. This is the way Armstrong sounded if you had seen him in Chicago's Savoy Ballroom in the late 1920s. The band came to NY to make in the big city but didn't. Louis became a star playing and singing in the revue Connie{Immerman}' s Hot Chocolates. He recorded this, 3 other tunes from that show and a few others with this band betweeen July and Nov. 1929. Due to the Hot 5s and his new celebrity they were labelled as Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra. Starting in Dec. 1929. Louis would front several different groups under that name for recordings before really having a full band organized.
RMCrecord
Yeah I love those others my grandpa had bought a Smithsonian collection of those songs for a few bucks at some thrift store and now has become one of my favorite vinyl records.
n00se
Oh, sweet Savannah Sue
Around my heart you cling
Sweet Savannah Sue
Well, it's a-ding-a-linging
Got you all day through
I'll sing it
If you don't know how much I think of you
Stars are shinin' bright
Or blinkin'
Moon is full tonight
Or winkin'
Lover's lane is right
My honey, oh, you know what I'm thinking
I'll walk with you
Which should be hunky-dory
And a kiss would be, be a trip to glory
So that's nothin' new
I'm telling you
You know it's true
Oh, honey
Never in old Savannah ever was there a grander time
I'm a-mean to say, I love you
Sweet Savannah Sue
SatchmoSings
Please keep listening to Mr. Armstrong and try to share him with anyone you might think will enjoy him; as you can see from my nickname here on "Youtube" I'm a big fan of his.
John Bianchi
This isn't a hot five or hot seven - it's the Louis Armstrong Orchestra.
SatchmoSings
@RMCrecord Yes, you are correct; I believe when Armstrong recorded all four of the sides at this session, they were all from this show; "Ain't Misbehavin,'" "Black & Blue" and "That Rhythm Man" being the other three.
SatchmoSings
Armstrong sang this in a Broadway show.
Thomas .Hennessey
July 22.1929 NYC : Louis Armstrong,t-vcl; Homer Hobson,t; Fred Robinson,trb; Bert Curry, Crawford Wetherington,as; Jimmy Strong,cl-ts; Carroll Dickerson,vln-ldr; Gene Anderson,p; Mancy Carr, bj; Pete Briggs, bb; Zutty Singleton,d. The third of 3 Fats Waller-Andy Razaf tunes for the revue Connie's Hot Chocolates that Louis was playing in that were recorded then. The first Black and Blue was coupled with Ain't Misbehavin' recorded 3 days earlier. This became Louis 's first mega hit and made him one of the earliest black vocal artists to crossover to the mainstream white audience.
Brian Wolle
fats waller did a solo recording of it.
RMCrecord
@SatchmoSings It was Connies' Hot Chocolates