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 Roof Blues
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's alright with me
I said New Orleans woman
She's alright with me
That's my hometown I'm talking about
'Cause when she cooks
That good old Gumbo fillet
I love my baby
I'm gonna tell you the reason why
Let you know the secret out
Yes I love my baby
Well, I'm gonna tell you the reason why
Never told you this before
'Cause there ain't a chance for a cutout
You've got to stay with me till the day I die
In Louis Armstrong's song "Tin Roof Blues," he expresses his love for a New Orleans woman and the city he calls his hometown. He praises the woman's cooking skills and references the classic New Orleans dish, gumbo fillet. Armstrong's love for this woman is so great that he feels compelled to share the reason why he loves her, despite having never revealed it before. He then sings that he needs her to stay with him until the day he dies, emphasizing his deep commitment to her.
One interpretation of these lyrics is that Armstrong is celebrating the unique cultural and culinary traditions of New Orleans, which are embodied in the woman he loves. The city's cuisine, with its mix of French, African, and Native American influences, is famous around the world, and gumbo fillet is one of its most iconic dishes. Armstrong's love for this woman is a reflection of his love for his hometown and its distinctive culture.
Another interpretation is that Armstrong is expressing his devotion to a specific woman, using the language of food and home to express his affection. By praising her cooking skills, he is acknowledging her role in creating a comfortable, nurturing environment for him. The reference to a "cutout" suggests that he sees her as someone he cannot live without, someone who is irreplaceable in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Yes, a New Orleans woman
I have a strong liking for a woman from New Orleans
She's alright with me
I find her acceptable as a companion
I said New Orleans woman
I want to emphasize that she's from New Orleans
She's alright with me
I still think she's a good match for me
That's my hometown I'm talking about
I feel proud to be associated with New Orleans
'Cause when she cooks
Whenever she indulges in cooking
That good old Gumbo fillet
Her signature dish, Gumbo fillet, which is a delight to taste
I'm happy as can be
It brings a sense of joy and contentment in me
I love my baby
I have a deep affection for my lover
I'm gonna tell you the reason why
I'll reveal the cause behind my love for her
Let you know the secret out
I'm going to disclose the secret
Yes I love my baby
My feelings for her are strong
Well, I'm gonna tell you the reason why
I want to elaborate on why I feel this way
Never told you this before
I haven't shared this previously
'Cause there ain't a chance for a cutout
I can't let go of her, ever
You've got to stay with me till the day I die
I can't imagine living without her, she's my forever partner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BEN POLLACK, GEORGE EDWARD BRUNS, LEON RAPPOLO, MELVILLE J. STITZEL, PAUL JOSEPH MARES, WALTER MELROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@duonglong9635
I'm reading catcher in the rye now, so suprise many came here for the same reason.
@alexanderlarsen5641
I’m here because of that guy with the raspy voice but could whistle nicely.
@sosolpb6611
yeah me too
@ultimatelv27
Lol. OMG, me too.
@samokuma9596
Pareil :)
@jmsplm362
Me 3
@dgmc3650
Yeah- but he's boring
@Lorenzovonlucky
The young Holden sent me here
@nicotoledo916
Same here! It's great to find someone else who looks for the songs from the books
@jacquelinenichols2293
Same here