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.
The Bucket's Got a Hole in It
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hmm, the bucket's got a hole in it
The bucket's got a hole in it
And we can't buy no more beer
I said the bucket's got a hole in it
It's too bad, the bucket's got a hole in it
Yeah, man, the bucket's got a hole in it
Somebody better run It's after hours and you can't get in
We close at nine and now it's half past ten
Oh honey would you
please come again?
I said it's after hours and you can't get in
You better come back tomorrow night and try it again
Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden's song My Bucket's Got A Hole In It is a classic example of the blues genre. The song is about a man who is down on his luck because his bucket has a hole in it, and he can't buy any beer. The lyrics reflect the man's frustration and desperation as he tries to find a way to get his hands on some alcohol.
The repetition of the phrase "the bucket's got a hole in it" creates a sense of hopelessness and resignation that is characteristic of the blues. The song also touches on the theme of closed doors as the singer laments being unable to get into the bar after hours. The lyrics suggest a sense of disappointment and rejection, further drawing the listener into the songwriter's world of pain and suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the bucket's got a hole in it
The container for our drinks has a hole and is leaking
Hmm, the bucket's got a hole in it
I am acknowledging that the bucket has a hole and we have a problem
The bucket's got a hole in it
Repeating that the container we use for drinks is broken
And we can't buy no more beer
We are unable to purchase additional alcohol since our container is broken and won't hold it
I said the bucket's got a hole in it
Reiterating that the container for our beverages is leaking and is no longer functional
It's too bad, the bucket's got a hole in it
Expressing disappointment that our container for drinks is no longer usable
Yeah, man, the bucket's got a hole in it
Agreeing with a previous statement that the container for our alcohol is broken
Somebody better run It's after hours and you can't get in
We need to leave the establishment quickly as it is past closing time and we won't be allowed in
It's after hours and you can't get in
Stating that we are not able to enter the bar as it is now closed
We close at nine and now it's half past ten
Indicating that the bar normally closes at nine o'clock, but it is now half an hour later
Oh honey would you look at that, it's already ten thirty
Expressing surprise that time has passed so quickly and it is now 10:30 pm
Looks like we'll have to find somewhere else to go
Since we cannot enter the bar and our container is broken, we need to find another location to enjoy our drinks
We need a little bit of liquor
Expressing that we desire to drink some alcohol
But the bucket's got a hole in it
Reiterating that our container is broken and we are unable to drink due to it
And everything's running out
We are rapidly running out of alcohol to drink as it is leaking from our broken container
We need something to wet our whistle
Expressing that we are thirsty and want to drink something
But it seems the bucket's betrayed us
Personifying the container as if it has actively worked against us by breaking and leaking our drinks
Our drinks are disappearing too fast
The broken container is causing our drinks to disappear too quickly due to the leaking
Oh lord, the bucket's got a hole in it
Appealing to a higher power for help since our container for alcohol is broken and we are unable to drink it
The landlord is getting hotter
The owner of the bar is becoming more upset with us for being unable to pay for our drinks
He's looking at us like we're robbers
The bar owner is scrutinizing and judging us as if we have committed a crime
We can't pay for what we haven't drank
Since our container is broken and we are unable to drink our alcohol, we cannot pay the full amount for it
But he's still not satisfied
Despite our explanation, the bar owner is still angry and not content with the situation
He's getting more and more agitated
The owner is becoming increasingly upset and irritated with us
Oh no, the landlord is getting hotter
Expressing concern that the bar owner's anger is continuing to escalate
It's time to hit the road
We need to leave the establishment and move on since our container is broken and we are unable to pay for our drinks
We better make a hasty retreat
We need to leave quickly in order to avoid further confrontation with the angry bar owner
We'll come back again some other night
Expressing a desire to return to the bar on another occasion
When we have money in our pockets
Stating that we will return to the bar when we have financial means to pay for our drinks
Right now, it's time to hit the road
Emphasizing that we need to leave the bar immediately due to the broken container and inability to pay for our drinks
We'll have to find a new place to play.
Acknowledging that we will need to locate a new bar or location to enjoy our drinks due to the situation at the current establishment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sdgakatbk
How can someone stay still listening to this?
@roberthyland8982
Louis Armstrong - full of life
The way he hits those notes, they just have to swing!
@p0k7lm
Trummy sure knows how to play that trombone !
@deanasimms
This is so Freakin Awesome! How funky can they get. They swung me right out of my socks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@hanxzz
Trummy Young on trombone rules !
@leopardgeckoonsteroids7012
Diamond city radio has brought me to this beautiful song
@Skylarking974
Sublime !
@falanajerido6939
Thank u for posting
@oliverz.3555
Trummy Young was such a great musician and singer. Not with Louis only, with the Jimmie Lunceford Band he was more often featured as a singer (Margie was his hit there).
@amparoospina562
Sensacional