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 Five Pennies Saints
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And make your wishes come true
This little penny is to dream on
Dream of all you can do
This little penny is a dancing penny
See how it glitters and it glows
Bright as a whistle
Quick, quick as a wink
Up on it's twinkling toes
This little penny is to laugh on
To see that tears never fall
This this little penny
Is the last little penny
Most important of all
For this penny is to love on
And where love is, heaven is there
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
You'll be a millionaire
For this penny is to love on
And where love is, heaven is there
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
You'll be a millionaire
The song "The Five Pennies" by Louis Armstrong and Danny Kaye is a charming little song that speaks of hope, dreams, laughter and love. The first four pennies are significant as they represent four things that can bring joy and success in life. The very first penny is meant to be a symbol of hope and encourages the listener to make wishes and believe that they can come true. The second penny is associated with dreams, the idea being that one should envision all they want in life and keep pursuing them until they are achieved.
The third penny is described as a "dancing penny" that sparkles and shines, just like the feeling of joy and happiness that one experiences when they are able to achieve their goals. The fourth penny is about laughter, which has the power to make life more beautiful and enjoyable, while keeping tears away. All these four pennies, when put together, create a combination of hope, dreams, happiness, and laughter that can lead to a prosperous and fulfilling life.
The final penny is the most important one, as it represents the power of love. It suggests that love can create a sense of heaven on earth and that if one has love in their life, they are truly rich. The song implies that love is not something that can be bought with money but it is something that is priceless, and that with these "five pennies," anyone can become a millionaire.
Line by Line Meaning
This little penny is to wish on
This small coin can grant you the power to wish for anything you want
And make your wishes come true
This coin can make your desires and dreams a reality
This little penny is to dream on
This tiny currency is perfect to let your imagination run wild and envision the grandest of possibilities
Dream of all you can do
Let your mind wander and explore all the incredible things you can accomplish in life
This little penny is a dancing penny
This coin is not only a symbol of hope and dreams, but it also showcases a delightful dance that sparkles and shines
See how it glitters and it glows
Experience the radiant light that emanates from this coin and revel in its magnificence
Bright as a whistle
This penny's radiance is as sharp and clear as the sound of a whistle
Light as a thistle
This coin is as weightless as a small feather or thistle
Quick, quick as a wink
This penny moves with lightning speed, as fast as a quick wink or blink of the eye
Up on it's twinkling toes
This coin dances with grace and elegance, lightly moving as if standing on its own twinkling toes
This little penny is to laugh on
This coin is perfect to lift your mood and bring joy, laughter, and happiness
To see that tears never fall
This penny is a reminder to keep a positive attitude and not let tears and sadness take over
This this little penny
This coin, as small as it may be, carries enormous significance and value
Is the last little penny
Even though it is the last penny mentioned, it is the most crucial one of all
Most important of all
This coin is the most essential and valuable because of the emotions it symbolizes
For this penny is to love on
This coin represents the power of love, the strongest emotion that can move mountains
And where love is, heaven is there
The presence of love can create and bring forth a paradise, an idyllic realm where all is well
So with just five pennies, if they're these five pennies
Even with just a small number of these specific five pennies
You'll be a millionaire
These five pennies have the ability to make you feel like a wealthy person, as they represent hope, dreams, joy, and love combined
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SYLVIA FINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@echovarde
Yes.... one of the best films ever... great music done by great people with a great story... why do we no longer have music like this?
@Paulinerom1
One of my All time Favorite Films Ever ! Just Love the songs, When it first came out i bought the L.P. as soon as i could. sang "Goodnight' to my children when they were growing up and it was time for bed. The songs bring me right back to then. Beautiful,XXXXX
@renegross8240
Who else is here listening to this wonderful classic November 2020?
@utubeDaveutube
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE there are (3) songs going on here. So amazing!!!!
@andrewhornsby470
Probably my favorite song with with a masterful trio. Gets me every time
@papikito
a masterpiece!!! timeless!! thanks for upload, bring tears in my eyes...
@henkabbes3820
your wlcome.....!
@KarenKleiman
My dad was nuts about this movie, Lous and Danny Kaye, he showed me this movie when I was a kid and I was hooked for life
@mtlicq
Great to see love and respect all around. Great song compilation of 3 different ones putting together something phenomenal
@steve5856
Just beautiful.
I can only watch this movie on my very own as it stirs up too many beautiful memories of my upbringing with my singer / musician / compere dad.
Don't forget to check out the late Harry Nilsson's version too.