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.
When the Saints Go Marching in
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is reverend Satchmo gettin' ready to beat out this mellow sermon for you
My text this evenin's "When The Saints Go Marching In"
Here come brother Higginbotham down the aisle with his trombone, blow it, boy
Oh, when the Saints (when the saints)
Go marching in (marching in)
Now, when the Saints go marching in (marching in)
When the Saints go marching in
Blow it, brother Holmes
Now when the Saints (when the saints)
Go marching in (marching in)
Oh, when the Saints go marching in (marching in)
Yes, I want to be in that number
When the Saints go marching in
The song "When the Saints Go Marching In" is an iconic gospel tune that has been performed by countless musicians, but perhaps the most famous version was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1938. The song itself is a celebration of hope and redemption, with the lyrics expressing a desire to join the ranks of the saints when they march into heaven.
In the opening lines of the song, Armstrong introduces himself as Reverend Satchmo and sets the stage for his "mellow sermon" about the saints. As he sings the chorus, he is joined by his fellow musicians, including Brother Higginbotham on trombone and Brother Holmes on another instrument (possibly trumpet or clarinet). Together, they create a joyous, upbeat sound that perfectly captures the spirit of the song.
The lyrics of "When the Saints Go Marching In" are deceptively simple, but they convey a powerful message of hope and faith. By expressing a desire to be included among the "number" of saints when they enter heaven, the song celebrates the promise of eternal life and the belief that no matter how difficult our earthly journey may be, there is always hope for something better in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Sisters and brothers
Addressing the audience as a religious pastor would begin a sermon
This is reverend Satchmo gettin' ready to beat out this mellow sermon for you
Introducing himself as the preacher of this sermon, preparing to perform a soulful message
My text this evenin's "When The Saints Go Marching In"
Announcing the topic of discussion for today's sermon
Here come brother Higginbotham down the aisle with his trombone, blow it, boy
Welcoming a fellow musician to play a solo instrument and enhance the message
Oh, when the Saints (when the saints)
Starting to sing the chorus of the song, celebrating the arrival of the saints
Go marching in (marching in)
Describing how the saints will arrive with a proud and lively gait
Now, when the Saints go marching in (marching in)
Repeating the chorus, emphasizing the excitement and anticipation
Yes, I want to be in that number
Expressing a personal desire to join the ranks of the saints
When the Saints go marching in
Repeating the main point of the song, yearning to witness the arrival of the saints
Blow it, brother Holmes
Encouraging another musician to add his own contribution to the song, showcasing the collective celebration
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BuddyBrownMusic
He truly was and is the spirit of New Orleans. God Bless this legend!
@peaceman4u
Buddy Brown u ain't lying
@troyandrew6154
Buddy Brown new Orleans? I'd say all of Louisiana
@rosettaquartz6012
Troy Andrew Yea!
@WilhelmWilder
Even though the man who wrote it was from arkansas
@TheModShopCO
Garrett Baker he, meaning Louis Armstrong. Forget this particular song, Louis is the embodiment of Louisiana Soul.
@hicow6075
The woman singing along side Louis is Jewel Brown. She's still alive at 85 years old and is very well renowned within the jazz and blues world as a singer!
@joecox6931
Thanks for that information......she is wonderful ......πππ
@williammallory5553
Old Satchmo was a slick old dog. Lol
@user-nt1ik5tm7y
Thank you so much. Leon