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.
That's for Me
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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I know what I liked and I liked what I saw
And I said to myself, that's for me
A lovely morning, I remarked, and you were quick to agree
You wanted to walk and I nodded my head
As I breathlessly said, that's for me
There's nothing for me but the dream in my heart
And the dream in my heart, that's for you
Oh my darling, that's for you
I left you standing under stars, the day's adventures are through
There's nothing for me but the dream in my heart
And the dream in my heart, that's for you
Oh my darling, that's for you
The lyrics of Louis Armstrong's song That's for Me describe the feeling of being enamored by someone at first sight. The singer sees the person in the sun and is struck by their beauty. He admits that he knew what he wanted and what he wanted was the person in front of him. The lyrics are full of romantic descriptions such as "lovely morning" and "breathlessly said" which conveys the strong emotions he is feeling.
The song goes on to describe how the singer and the person he is enamored by go for a walk and share a moment. At the end of the day, when it is time to go separate ways, he tells the person that his dream is for them. This describes the depth of emotions he feels towards the person, and how much he desires to be with them.
Overall, the song is a beautiful description of the feeling of falling in love at first sight. The lyrics are romantic and heartfelt, conveying the intense emotions that come along with falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you standing in the sun and you were something to see
I noticed you standing in the bright sunlight and you were absolutely stunning.
I know what I liked and I liked what I saw
I had an instant attraction to you based on your appearance alone.
And I said to myself, that's for me
I knew I had to meet you and pursue a relationship with you because you were so captivating.
A lovely morning, I remarked, and you were quick to agree
We both acknowledged that it was a beautiful morning and enjoyed each other's company.
You wanted to walk and I nodded my head
You expressed a desire to take a walk and I agreed to join you.
As I breathlessly said, that's for me
I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the moment and knew that it was the perfect thing for us to do together.
I left you standing under stars, the day's adventures are through
Our time together has come to an end for the day, but it was a day filled with wonderful experiences.
There's nothing for me but the dream in my heart
Although we are apart now, I am still filled with hope and longing for a future with you.
And the dream in my heart, that's for you
My dream is to be with you and build a life together, and I hope that you feel the same way.
Oh my darling, that's for you
My feelings are true and I want you to know how much I care for you.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein, Ii, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
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
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
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
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world