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.
You?ll Never Walk Alone
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
[Chorus]
Walk on through the wind
Though your dreams
Be tossed and blown
Walk on
Walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
[Chorus]
Louis Armstrong's song "You'll Never Walk Alone" talks about the importance of hope and perseverance in difficult times. The opening lines, "When you walk through a storm, keep your chin up high, and don't be afraid of the dark," depict a person facing a challenging situation. The song encourages individuals to stay positive even in the midst of adversity because there is always a rainbow at the end of a storm, which can be seen from the words: "At the end of the storm is a golden sky and the sweet silver song of a lark".
The chorus, "Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and blown, walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart," emphasizes the importance of perseverance, even when times are tough. The song emphasizes that no matter what happens in life, you are never alone if you hold on to hope. The chorus concludes with "you'll never walk alone," highlighting the message that, even in the darkest moments, you will have support and that someone is always there for you.
This powerful song has become a symbol of comfort, hope, and solidarity for many. It has been covered by various artists since its release, but Louis Armstrong's version remains the most popular. The song has a timeless quality and has been used in many movies and sports events, including being a theme song for Liverpool F.C:
Line by Line Meaning
When you walk through a storm
When you face a difficult time in life
Keep your chin up high
Stay positive and maintain your self-respect
And don't be afraid of the dark
Do not be scared of the unknown
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
After hardship comes success and happiness
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Enjoy the beauty of nature even during tough times
Walk on through the wind
Keep moving forward, despite obstacles
Walk on through the rain
Persevere even when things are tough
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Even if your plans are disrupted
Walk on
Keep going and never give up
Walk on
Continue to move forward
With hope in your heart
Maintain a positive outlook and keep dreaming big
And you'll never walk alone
You will always have support and encouragement
You'll never walk alone
You will always be accompanied and never alone
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nikos Nikolaidis
This song is so beautiful song...
Here are the lyrics:
When you walk through a storm Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark [Chorus]
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams
Be tossed and blown
Walk on Walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone [2x]
Shane Smith
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone
nelson anaia
Inconfundível, fantástico, eterno Louis Armstrong...
Nikos Nikolaidis
This song is so beautiful song...
Here are the lyrics:
When you walk through a storm Keep your chin up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark [Chorus]
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams
Be tossed and blown
Walk on Walk on
With hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone [2x]
Cardis Augustine
I was a child when I sang this in church and seeing it again made me feel all the emotions.
Noloco Mez
Greats words 👍😉
Hridoy Sarker
Thank you from Bangladesh
Gael Orlando Obando Garro
@romarub maybe in the original, but in this cover of Louis, he said Put your head
romarub
HOLD your head . . . not Put your head@Martin M
robin lunsford
I love his music it really touches my heart and I just love to hear his music on a sad day it always cheers me up he may be gone but he's still making people smile
Neil Walker
So true !!!
Liliana Fontana
Exactly