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: βYou canβt play nothing on modern trumpet that doesnβt 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 Night Before Christmas
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
Louis Armstrong's song "The Night Before Christmas" is a musical adaptation of the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" or commonly known as "The Night Before Christmas." The song follows the same storyline as the poem where a father wakes up to a commotion outside and sees Santa Claus arrive with his iconic reindeer in his sleigh. Santa then enters the house through the chimney to deliver presents to the children before leaving with his reindeer.
The song starts with a calm and peaceful atmosphere, where everyone is asleep except for the singer who is cautiously listening for any sound. The stockings are hung on the chimney waiting for Santa's arrival. Suddenly, there's a loud noise outside the house which alarms the singer. He jumps out of bed and rushes to the window to see what's happening. It's then that he sees Santa Claus with his reindeer on the front yard. Santa Claus calls the reindeer by name and then enters the house to deliver presents through the chimney with a "bound."
Louis Armstrong's adaptation of the poem adds a jazzy twist to the Christmas tradition. The song is also popular for its inclusion in the 1947 movie "Miracle on 34th Street." Armstrong's unique voice and musical accompaniment add a cheerful and upbeat mood to the classic Christmas story.
Line by Line Meaning
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
This is the evening before Christmas Day and the house is so quiet that we can't even hear a mouse
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
The stockings have been thoughtfully placed with great care by the fireplace
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.
We hope that St. Nicholas will soon be here to fill the stockings with goodies
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
The children are sleeping peacefully and contentedly in their beds
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
They were dreaming of the sweet and sugary treats they would receive in their stockings and presents tomorrow
And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
The parents are settled with their nightcaps, while the children sleep soundly
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.
We had just laid down our heads to get a good night's sleep after a long and tiring day
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
We were suddenly awakened by a loud noise coming from the front yard
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
I hurried to the window so fast that it seemed like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
I opened the window quickly and threw up the sash to see what was happening
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
The moon was shining brightly on the new, freshly fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
The light from the moon was so bright that it made objects below appear as if it were mid-day
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
To my amazement, I saw a miniature sleigh being pulled by eight small reindeer
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
The driver of the sleigh was a little old man, but he was full of life and energy
He whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
The driver was giving orders to the reindeer, calling them by their names
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
The reindeer flew straight up to the rooftop of the house with great speed
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
The sleigh was filled with toys and St. Nicholas himself was in it
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
Suddenly, in a very short amount of time, I heard a noise on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
I could hear the sound of the reindeer's hooves as they pranced and pawed on the roof
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
I turned my head back to the window and looked in amazement at what was happening
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
St. Nicholas came down the chimney with a single, swift movement
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
Santa Claus was wearing a fur outfit, which covered him from head to toe
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
Santa's outfit was all covered with ashes and soot from coming down the chimney
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
Santa's eyes twinkled with merriment and his dimples looked happy
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
Santa's rosy cheeks and cherry-red nose gave him a cheerful appearance
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The hair on Santa's beard was as white as the snow outside
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
Santa had a big round face, and a big round belly too
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
When he laughed, his belly jiggled like a bowl full of jelly, which was quite amusing!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
Although Santa was a bit overweight, he was a happy, jolly old person who spread cheer and goodwill to everyone he met
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
Even though I was tired and groggy, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw him
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
Santa's presence and cheerful demeanor immediately let me know I had nothing to be afraid of
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
Santa didn't say a word but immediately got to work filling the stockings with gifts
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
Then he put a finger on the side of his nose, as if signalling that he had a secret mission to accomplish
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
After he was done, he gave me a little nod and then quickly went back up the chimney
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
He jumped back into his sleigh, and with a whistle of his team of reindeer, he flew away
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
Santa's sleigh and reindeer went racing into the air fast and smooth as the down of a thistle
But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,
As he was leaving, I heard Santa say loudly for all to hear
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"
"Merry Christmas to everyone, and sleep well!"
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE, JAMES MERRILL BRICKMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rafael Castillo Zabaleta
Soy de Bolivia fanΓ‘tico de Louis Armstrong gracias a Γ©l me animΓ© a tocar la trompeta y destaque como el mejor trompetista del colegio por que le puse empeΓ±o tiempo y corazΓ³n gracias a The Satchmo π
ledzepgirlnmful
What a Wonderful , early Christmas gift !!!
Wishing everybody a Most Merry Christmas!
Rob Abreu
I had no idea he'd done this. It was so good. It's June, but Merry Christmas every one. π
Aloysius Okon
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!
acw4522
Can't believe I stumbled upon this... SO HAPPY. Definitely adding this to our HOLIDAY GATHERING!!!
Frank Denardo
This is a great version of Louis Armstrong's Twas the night before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore. Love the characture of the legendary trumpet player.
Lauren in Germany
Iβm about to record this and was looking for a nice voice to listen to- Louis is the best! Itβs not Christmas without Zat you, Santa Claus? playing on a loop!
grahamri231
His song, his voice is so sweet, lovely, amazing and is just too perfect. Do you love π his music?
elifnaΔme
MΓΌkemmel π€ππβ¨π
Helen Fallaw
Just wonderful! Perfect animation.