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.
When You’re Smiling
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was a kind man,
Helping a fellow along,
One could not see,
One could not walk,
But they both were humming this song;
When you're smiling, When you're smiling,
When you're laughing, When you're laughing,
The sun comes shining through,
But when you're crying you bring on the rain,
So stop your sighing be happy again,
Keep on smiling 'cause when you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you.
I used to worry,
I used to hurry,
Each time it started to rain,
Now I see light,
Learned wrong from right,
And you'll never hear me complain;
When you're smiling, When you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you,
When you're laughing, When you're laughing,
The sun comes shining through,
But when you're crying you bring on the rain,
So stop your sighing be happy again,
Keep on smiling 'cause when you're smiling,
The whole world smiles with you.
Louis Armstrong's song "When You're Smiling" is a classic song that continues to be loved by everyone. The song highlights the power of a smile, particularly during challenging times. The opening lines describe a blind man walking with a fellow individual who could not walk. Both were humming the song, signifying that even when life is tough, there is something positive to look forward to.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "when you're smiling" and "when you're laughing," emphasizing that a positive mindset brings light and positivity to one's life. Additionally, the song acknowledges that everyone struggles and experiences sadness, but it's important to keep smiling and stay positive.
In the second verse, the song talks about how the singer used to worry and hurry but has learned to appreciate life and not complain, indicating growth and maturity.
Overall, the song is a message of hope and positivity. No matter how difficult life may seem, a smile can make a difference and bring brightness to one's day.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a blind man,
I witnessed a gentleman who had lost his sight and yet, he showed kindness towards another person by assisting them with their impairments.
He was a kind man,
Although this individual was visually impaired, his actions proved that he held warm and benevolent traits in his character.
Helping a fellow along,
By providing a helping hand to those around him, this blind man demonstrated a compassionate nature towards others.
One could not see,
One of the people needed assistance was unable to witness the world around them due to a visual impairment.
One could not walk,
The other person unfortunately had difficulty moving due to an apparent physical limitation.
But they both were humming this song;
Despite their personal hardships, they found contentment in their interactions and formed a bond over the shared experience of humming a tune together.
When you're smiling, When you're smiling,
The act of showing joy and smiling has a contagious effect that spreads beyond just yourself.
The whole world smiles with you,
By showing happiness and positivity, others will likely feel the same and reflect that joy back to you.
When you're laughing, When you're laughing,
In the same respect, sharing laughter and a positive outlook can have a profound effect on those around you.
The sun comes shining through,
This feeling of joy and lightheartedness can lead to a brighter outlook, akin to the sun shining down on a beautiful day.
But when you're crying you bring on the rain,
On the other hand, crying and sadness can have a negative impact on not only yourself, but those around you as well.
So stop your sighing be happy again,
Instead of focusing on sadness, this song encourages individuals to redirect their focus on positivity and pursue happiness.
Keep on smiling 'cause when you're smiling,
Reiterating the importance of a positive outlook, the song reinforces the idea that happiness can be a shared experience.
The whole world smiles with you.
Once again emphasizing the power of a smile, the lyrics convey the notion that one person's positivity and joy can influence others to feel the same way.
I used to worry,
The singer reflects on a previous time when they had concerns and feelings of anxiety.
I used to hurry,
Associated with the previous line, the song suggests that these worries led to a sense of urgency or rush in everyday life.
Each time it started to rain,
The use of rain in the song can be seen as a metaphor for difficult times or moments of sadness.
Now I see light,
However, the singer has had a change of heart and perspective and now sees the positive aspects of life.
Learned wrong from right,
The singer has grown and learned from past experiences, likely overcoming previous negative behaviors or ways of thinking.
And you'll never hear me complain;
The song asserts that the singer has moved past their previous complaints and now embraces a positive outlook, regardless of circumstances.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE GOODWIN, LARRY SHAY, MARK FISHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yvesleroux9290
Oh, when you're smiling
When you're smiling
The whole world
Smiles with you, ba, be, ba, bo
Oh, when you're laughing
Babe, when you're laughing
The sun comes shining through
But when you're crying
You bring on the rain
So stop your sighing
Be happy again
And keep on smiling
Keep on smiling
And the whole world smiles with you...
@Fernandez.Alexis
When you're smilin'....keep on smilin'
The whole world smiles with you
And when you're laughin'....keep on laughin'
The sun comes shinin' through
But when you're cryin'.... you bring on the rain
So stop your frownin'....be happy again
Cause when you're smilin'....keep on smilin'
The whole world smiles with you
Oh when you're smilin'....keep on smilin'
The whole world smiles with you
Ah when you're laughin'....keep on laughin'
The sun comes shinin' through
Now when you're cryin'.... you bring on the rain
So stop that sighin'....be happy again
Cause when you're smilin'....just keep on smilin'
And the whole world gonna smile with
The great big world will smile with
The whole wide world will smile with you
@dennyalvarado3279
Proven fact: this song is even better when it’s late at night, and raining outside.
@hamzasami8362
Good living in raincouver then.. its 12:24 am and its pouring tonight xD
@floox1601
Or in the shower in germany
@swalton1932
Denny Alvarado or when it’s snowing outside.
@lukehall8151
who said the dark and the rain were bad?
@airisse9497
thanks for the tip
@alejandraalvarado8534
Am I the only one that imagine with someone dancing this at night with a beautiful sky?
@drnarwhal2888
Nope, I'm on the same page.
@obito7969
Count me as well.
@riejurv50
Same here... Maybe some day