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 the Sants Go Marchin'in
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Dear Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh, when the sun refuse to shine
Oh, when the sun refuse to shine
Dear Lord I want to be in that number
Oh when they crown Him Lord of all
Oh when they crown Him Lord of all
Dear Lord, I want to be in that number
When they crown Him Lord of all
Oh, when they gather 'round the throne
Oh, when they gather 'round the throne
Dear Lord, I want to be in that number
When they gather 'round the throne
Louis Armstrong's "When the Saints Go Marching In" is a joyful and vibrant song that speaks of the singer's desire to be among the saints in heaven. The song has bright and catchy lyrics that reflect a strong religious faith and a desire for a better afterlife. The opening lines of the song serve as a statement of intent, with the singer expressing a strong desire to be among the number of the saints when they march in. The second verse is equally powerful, with the singer expressing his desire to be with the saints even when the sun refuses to shine.
The third verse speaks of the crowning of the Lord and the singer's wish to be present for that momentous occasion. This verse highlights the strong belief in the Christian faith of the singer, and his or her earnest desire to be present when Jesus Christ is proclaimed Lord of all. Lastly, the singer expresses a desire to be among those who gather round the throne. This final verse speaks to something deeper and more profound than just a desire to be in heaven, but rather a desire to be in the presence of God, to be surrounded by the saints and to share in the glory of the divine.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, when the saints go marching in
I eagerly anticipate the arrival of the saints who will march proudly by my side
Dear Lord, I want to be in that number
I humbly implore You, my Lord, to count me among Your chosen saints
When the sun refuse to shine
Even in the darkest of times, I will strive to be one of the faithful saints
When they crown Him Lord of all
I will proudly stand among the saints when Jesus is crowned as Lord above all
When they gather 'round the throne
I desire to be counted among the saints who will worship and praise God when they gather around His throne
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional 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 ......💎💎💎
@williammallory5553
Old Satchmo was a slick old dog. Lol
@user-nt1ik5tm7y
Thank you so much. Leon