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.
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Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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And the flowers never die, yes
Friends don't pass you by
Cause that's my home
When the folks say how do you do
And they really mean it too, yes
With a love that's true
I'm always welcomed back
No matter where I roam, yes
It's just a little old shack
To me it's home sweet home
Where the Suwanee river flows
And the shady pine trees grow, yes
You needn't say no more
Cause that's my home
Louis Armstrong’s song “That’s My Home” is a heartwarming composition that reflects on the sentimental value of a place where one has experienced genuine love and warmth. The lyrics convey the strong emotional bond that the singer has with his home and its people. The first verse starts with the depiction of a beautiful sunset and the flowers that never die, indicating the natural beauty that surrounds the singer’s home. The second line “Friends don't pass you by” signifies the tight-knit community where people are friendly and accommodating. The refrain “That’s my home” emphasizes the emotional connection the singer has with his home that makes him feel safe and comfortable.
The second verse of the song further sheds light on the sincerity and kindness of the people living in the singer's home. The greeting “how do you do” is not just a formality but expressed with genuine love and care. The singer acknowledges the truthfulness of their love for him, which makes his home a special place to live. The bridge is where the singer admits that no matter where he goes, he is always welcomed back home like the proverbial “prodigal son.” The last verse of the song emphasizes the natural beauty of his home, with the Suwanee river flowing and the shady pine trees growing, symbolizing the peace and tranquility it offers.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sunsets in the sky
As the day comes to an end and the sun sets in the sky
And the flowers never die, yes
And the flowers continue to bloom, forever living on
Friends don't pass you by
Both new and old friends always greet and acknowledge one another
Cause that's my home
Because that place, wherever it may be, is considered home
When the folks say how do you do
When people genuinely inquire about one another's wellbeing
And they really mean it too, yes
Sincerity is felt in their words and actions
With a love that's true
A genuine and honest love is present
That's my home
That's where the roots are and where the heart is
I'm always welcomed back
There is always a place for one to return to and be welcomed with open arms
No matter where I roam, yes
No matter where life may take me, that place will always be home
It's just a little old shack
The physical structure of the home may be small or modest
To me it's home sweet home
But to the individual, it is a comforting and beloved space
Where the Suwanee river flows
Where a specific river flows through the land
And the shady pine trees grow, yes
And where tall pine trees cast shadows and provide a sense of comfort
You needn't say no more
No further explanation is necessary
Cause that's my home
Because that place is where the heart and soul resides
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SYDNEY ROBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@levankutaladze2347
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
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying
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
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Ooh, yes
@Clery75019
Louis Armstrong is born in 1901, abandonned by his father and with her mother forced to sell her body for a living. He's been raised by his grand-mother who was born as a slave. Yet no one reminded us in a better way that we live in a wonderful world. Thinking about it helps to put things in perspective.
@RitzRed
Only a good-hearted person like Lois Armstrong ❤️ Can sing like that! And even that he went through a sad and difficult life... He did’t lose him self... And that you could se in his loving smile ❤️ A few people in the world can be like Lois A.... Survivors that never lose their love inside them ❤️
@bxshaped27_79
@Sandeep Reddy guilt isn't hederitairy
@dreat6578
And he manages to smile so brightly...
@joanpitter1698
Thanks Metropolitan, I had no idea! What an incredible man and song. 💯 He singing all about God’s creation. The world has lost a Precious Man!😢🥰
@namelessgames1608
sounds similar to richard pryors history
@leviwhitworth8726
Louis Armstrong isn't dead, he's just in another wonderful world
@Enes-wj5xq
Only The God knows.
@lesliefiadoyor4823
probably still thinking to himself: what a wonderful world it is...
@johnrochford2934
Yes indeed