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.
Them Their Eyes
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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Life was a beautiful song
Didn't have a care nor worry
Then you had to come along
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle, they bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
Maybe you think I'm all lies
Just because I get romantic when I gaze in
Them there eyes
I fell in love with you first time
I looked into them there eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
With them there eyes
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
No stallin'
I'm fallin'
Going in a big way for sweet little you
My heart is jumpin'
You sure started somethin'
With them there eyes
You'd better watch them if you're wise
They sparkle
They bubble
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
You're overworkin' 'em
There's danger lurkin' in
Them there eyes
The lyrics to Louis Armstrong's song "Them There Eyes" tell the story of falling in love at first sight with someone you can't resist. The song starts by setting the scene of a carefree life, enjoying the beauty of the world around you. However, everything changes when the person the singer is in love with catches their eye. They describe the way this person flirts with their eyes and the effect it has on them. The singer is overwhelmed with emotions and decides to take a big risk for this person, as they can't ignore the way they feel.
Throughout the song, the singer warns others about the power of the person's eyes and how they can get you into trouble. The eyes are described as sparkling and bubbling, leading to danger lurking in them. The song ends with the singer confessing their love once again and urging others to be careful around those captivating eyes.
Overall, the lyrics of "Them There Eyes" convey the power of love at first sight and the eventual risks and rewards that come with it. It's a romantic, jazzy love song with a catchy tune and memorable lyrics that capture the essence of falling head over heels for someone.
Line by Line Meaning
I was just minding my business
I was content and happy with my life as it was
Life was a beautiful song
I felt like everything was going well and life was good
Didn't have a care nor worry
I didn't have any concerns or problems occupying my thoughts
Then you had to come along
But then you appeared and changed everything
I fell in love with you first time
I realized I was in love with you the very first time I looked into your eyes
You've got a certain lil' cute way of flirtin'
You have an endearing and charming way of flirting with me
With them there eyes
It's the way you use your eyes when you flirt with me
They make me feel happy, they make me blue
Your eyes have the ability to make me both elated and sad
No stallin'
I can’t stop my feelings towards you from progressing quickly
I'm fallin'
I'm falling in love with you
Going in a big way for sweet little you
I'm pursuing you passionately and with intention
My heart is jumpin'
My heart beats fast and with excitement because of you
You sure started somethin'
You ignited strong emotions in me
You'd better watch them if you're wise
If you're smart, you'll be careful and not let me get too attached to you
They sparkle
Your eyes shine and are attractive
They bubble
Your eyes have a lively and energetic quality to them
They're gonna get you in a whole lot of trouble
Your eyes are so alluring that they may cause you problems or complications
You're overworkin' 'em
You’re using your eyes to their fullest extent to try to win me over
There's danger lurkin' in
There's a possibility that there could be negative consequences from being too attached to you and your eyes
Maybe you think I'm just flirtin'
You might believe that I'm only flirting with you and not truly in love with you
Maybe you think I'm all lies
You might think that I'm dishonest or not genuine with my feelings
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Louis....je ne sais quoi dire...