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 Creator Has a Master Plan
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And joy and happiness did reign and each man knew his worth
In my heart how I yearn for that spirit's return
And I cry, as time flies,
Om, Om
There is a place where love forever shines
And rainbows are the shadows of a presence so divine
And it's free, can't you see, come with me
The creator has a master plan
Peace and happiness for every man
The creator has a working plan
Peace and happiness for every man
The creator makes but one demand
Happiness through all the land
Louis Armstrong's song "The Creator Has a Master Plan" is a spiritual and uplifting tune that speaks about a better world where peace and love reign. The song begins with a reflection on a time in the past when life was more fulfilling, and everyone knew their worth. The lyrics express the desire for the return of that spirit and the sadness felt as time passes. But then the song takes a more hopeful turn, as it speaks of a place where love forever shines, and happiness and peace are promised to every man. The lyrics describe this place as a heavenly paradise, with rainbows and a divine presence that lights up the skies with love. The song ends with the message that the creator has a "working plan" for happiness and joy to reign throughout the land, and that this is the only demand that the creator makes.
Overall, "The Creator Has a Master Plan" is a song about hope, faith, and the belief that the universe has a divine plan for all of us. It speaks to the human desire for a better world, and the deep longing for peace, happiness, and love to reign supreme. The song's lyrics are simple but powerful, and they touch on some of the most fundamental aspects of the human experience, such as love, joy, and the passage of time. Louis Armstrong's version of the song is particularly powerful, with his smooth voice and unique jazz style elevating the message of hope and optimism.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a time, when peace was on the earth,
Once upon a time, there was a time on this earth where there was peace, which implies that there is no harmony now.
And joy and happiness did reign and each man knew his worth
During that time, people were happy, and they knew their value; however, it is not evident in the current world.
In my heart how I yearn for that spirit's return
The singer highly desires the return of the era of peace and happiness on earth in their heart.
And I cry, as time flies,
As time passes by, the artist is sad because the spirit of peace and happiness is fading away from the earth.
Om, Om
The artist chants 'Om, Om', a syllable that signifies the essence of the universe or the highest states of consciousness, in the Hindu religion.
There is a place where love forever shines
There is a specific location where love is eternal and never-ending.
And rainbows are the shadows of a presence so divine
In this place, rainbows are not just colorful arcs that form in the sky after rain, but they indicate the presence of a divine power.
And the glow of that love lights the heavens above
The shine that love in that region produces is so intense that it illuminates and brightens the skies beyond that place.
And it's free, can't you see, come with me
The artist invites or encourages the audience to come with them to this place where love is free because the experience is so refreshing.
The creator has a master plan
The being that created everything that exists on earth and beyond has a well-constructed scheme for all human beings.
Peace and happiness for every man
The essential and primary objectives for that plan are to create an environment of peace and happiness for every human being regardless of their background, race, religion, or social status.
The creator has a working plan
The Creator does not simply have a plan. It is operational, and some measures have already been put into place.
Peace and happiness for every man
The central purpose of the plan of the Creator is to ensure that all humans live peaceably and are full of joy.
The creator makes but one demand
The only thing the Creator wants is for people to be happy, and it is not too much to ask.
Happiness through all the land
The Creator intends to distribute happiness evenly throughout the earth.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: FERRELL PHAROAH SANDERS, LEON THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nancypryor4004
I LOVE THIS SONG! ❤
Heard it for the first time on Sirius jazz station. I had to pull over. Absolutely beautiful. The Creator indeed had a plan when putting these artists together. ❤
@EduardoMartinez-dm5pp
One of the most underrated and beautiful songs I've heard. I'm no religious, but this is master piece
@e-sense-shirlwellness1602
He has a master plan indeed....Louis Armstrong saw well into the future.... Wow! Indeed a blessing to hear this amazing song today!
@rhythmfield
Just goes to show you what a wonderful, open minded man and artist Louis Armstrong was, connecting with the next generation. He could smoke up a little mother nature and get into it with the “kids“ and it feels sincere to me.
@papagreenemusic
"Get into it with the kids"??
Man, Pops was smokin' it up in 1925.
@robertlepper5460
Louis Armstrong was the most radical innovator of all within black classical music ( won't use the racist term jazz)
@robertlepper5460
Most inane comment ever ! Do you know what Louis Armstrong contributed to the music 's creation .
@silverkip2992
@@robertlepper5460 since when is "jazz" a racist term?
@leecash9767
2022 needs a label like Flying Dutchman, beautiful.
@Shamoo28
This song is fucking mind-blowing