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 Hucklebuck
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the lights are down low
Grab your baby, then go
Do the Hucklebuck
Do the Hucklebuck
If you don't know how to do it
Boy, you're out of luck
Then you hunch your back
Start a little movement in your sacroiliac
Wiggle like a snake, waddle like a duck
That's the way you do it when you do the Hucklebuck
Everybody's looking for a-somethin' new
It could be cars, it could be clothes
Or just a stylish shoe
But if you like your dancin'
Better take my tip
Get set, warn the band, and let 'er rip
You go a little to the left
A little to the right
Get hold of your partner
Tell him, "No need to fight"
Push your partner 'round
And then you hunch your back
Start your movement in your sacroiliac
Wiggle like a snake and then you waddle like a duck
And that's the way you gotta do it when you do the Hucklebuck
There you go
You got it now
It's the Hucklebuck
"The Hucklebuck" by Louis Armstrong is a lively and upbeat song that encourages listeners to dance to a specific style of dance, the Hucklebuck. The lyrics begin by inviting the listener to take part in the Hucklebuck dance, providing instructions on how to perform the dance's moves. The song's chorus repeats the simple phrase "Do the Hucklebuck" twice, which acts as a call-and-response or a chant, emphasising the idea that everyone should be doing the dance.
The second verse of the song suggests that "everybody's looking for something new", potentially referring to the trend of constantly seeking new styles of music, fashion or other forms of entertainment. However, the singer argues that the Hucklebuck is still the best way to have fun dancing. The song also includes a playful warning, where the singer suggests that anyone who does not know how to dance the Hucklebuck is "out of luck". The final verse repeats the instruction to dance the Hucklebuck, highlighting the song's overall message that this dance is fun, exciting and worth learning.
Line by Line Meaning
Here's a dance you should know
Louis Armstrong is introducing a dance to the listener.
When the lights are down low
The Hucklebuck is best enjoyed in a dimly lit area.
Grab your baby, then go
Louis Armstrong suggests that the listener should find a partner and start dancing.
Do the Hucklebuck
Louis Armstrong restates the name of the dance.
If you don't know how to do it
Louis Armstrong acknowledges that some people may not be familiar with the dance.
Boy, you're out of luck
Louis Armstrong tells the listener that they will be unable to dance if they don't know the Hucklebuck.
Push your partner out
Louis Armstrong instructs the listener to separate from their partner.
Then you hunch your back
Louis Armstrong tells the listener to arch their back while dancing.
Start a little movement in your sacroiliac
Louis Armstrong suggests that the listener should move their hips while dancing.
Wiggle like a snake, waddle like a duck
Louis Armstrong provides imagery to help the listener understand how to move while dancing the Hucklebuck.
That's the way you do it when you do the Hucklebuck
Louis Armstrong reiterates the correct technique for dancing the Hucklebuck.
Everybody's looking for a-somethin' new
Louis Armstrong notes that people are always seeking something different or novel.
It could be cars, it could be clothes
Louis Armstrong lists examples of things people may want to change in their lives.
Or just a stylish shoe
Louis Armstrong provides a lighthearted example of something people may find new and exciting.
But if you like your dancin'
Louis Armstrong suggests that dancing may be the best thing for those seeking something new.
Better take my tip
Louis Armstrong is confident in his dancing advice.
Get set, warn the band, and let 'er rip
Louis Armstrong tells the listener to prepare to dance and let the music play.
You go a little to the left
Louis Armstrong instructs the listener to move in a particular direction.
A little to the right
Louis Armstrong reiterates the directions for the dance.
Get hold of your partner
Louis Armstrong tells the listener to rejoin their partner.
Tell him, 'No need to fight'
Louis Armstrong suggests that the listener should reassure their partner and avoid conflict.
Push your partner 'round
Louis Armstrong instructs the listener to move their partner while dancing.
And then you hunch your back
Louis Armstrong reminds the listener to arch their back while dancing.
Start your movement in your sacroiliac
Louis Armstrong reiterates the importance of hip movement.
Wiggle like a snake and then you waddle like a duck
Louis Armstrong repeats his earlier instructions about how to move while dancing the Hucklebuck.
And that's the way you gotta do it when you do the Hucklebuck
Louis Armstrong restates the correct technique for dancing the Hucklebuck once again.
There you go
Louis Armstrong congratulates the listener on mastering the Hucklebuck.
You got it now
Louis Armstrong encourages the listener and acknowledges that they have learned the dance.
It's the Hucklebuck
Louis Armstrong reminds the listener of the name of the dance.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROY ALFRED, ANDY GIBSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D.M. Maine
Great band and a fun performance, but there's more to "The Hucklebuck" than meets the eye. The song, which became popular in 1949, was credited to Andy Gibson, but listen to Charlie Parker's 1945 recording of "Now's the Time." The back story can be found if you search for "Hucklebuck" and the radio station WFMU in Jersey City, NJ.