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’re Driving Me Crazy
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why did you leave me lonely?
For here's a heart that's only
For nobody but you!
I'm burning like a flame, dear;
Oh, I'll never be the same, dear;
I'll always place the blame, dear,
Yes, you,
You're driving me crazy!
What did I do? What did I do?
My tears for you
Make everything hazy,
Clouding the skies of blue.
How true,
Were the friends who were near me to cheer me,
Believe me, they knew!
But you,
Were the kind who would hurt me, desert me,
When I needed you!
Yes, you!
You're driving me crazy!
What did I do to you?
The lyrics of Louis Armstrong's 'You're Drivin' Me Crazy' speak to the pain of a broken heart and the aftermath of a failed relationship. The song conveys a sense of betrayal from a lover who has left the singer "sad and lonely." Despite the hurt that this person has caused, the singer still longs for their love and devotion, believing that their heart is "only for nobody but you."
The pain and frustration felt by the singer are evident in the repetition of the title phrase, "you're drivin' me crazy," which emphasizes the emotional turmoil that they are experiencing. The singer questions why they have been left alone and wonders what they have done to deserve such treatment. The chorus conveys the physical and emotional toll that the break-up has taken, with tears clouding the blue skies and friends unable to truly understand the heartache that the singer is experiencing.
Despite the difficult subject matter, the song is performed with upbeat, jazzy instrumentation that serves to highlight the tension between the joy and sadness that are present in the lyrics. The combination of catchy melodies and heart-rending lyrics has made 'You're Drivin' Me Crazy' a timeless classic that continues to resonate with listeners today.
Line by Line Meaning
You left me sad and lonely;
You departed and now I'm feeling melancholic and alone.
Why did you leave me lonely?
I wonder what caused you to abandon me in a desolate state.
For here's a heart that's only For nobody but you!
My heart is devoted solely and exclusively to you, and no one else.
I'm burning like a flame, dear;
My passion for you is so intense that it feels like I'm on fire, my love.
Oh, I'll never be the same, dear;
My life will never be the same again without you, my dear.
I'll always place the blame, dear, On nobody but you.
I hold only you accountable for my heartache, and no one else.
Yes, you, You're driving me crazy!
You're making me go insane with love, my beloved.
What did I do? What did I do?
What did I do to be blessed with such a wonderful love like you and yet be cursed with such sorrow?
My tears for you Make everything hazy, Clouding the skies of blue.
My love for you is so powerful that it makes everything around me appear blurry and uncertain, even the clear skies above.
How true, Were the friends who were near me to cheer me, Believe me, they knew!
My close friends were right by me to provide support and encouragement during hard times, and they certainly knew the impact of your absence on me.
But you, Were the kind who would hurt me, desert me, When I needed you!
Even though I needed you the most, you were the one who caused me pain and abandoned me when things got tough.
Yes, you! You're driving me crazy!
I'm going insane trying to understand why the love I have for you is causing so much pain, my beloved.
What did I do to you?
What could I have possibly done to deserve this heartache caused by your absence, my love?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WALTER DONALDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexandermarquis6197
This reminds of the good old days, having a radio bring in some type of entertainment. To our depressed lives was a treat to behold
@caiojuliocesar1
Genius
@JBCo2012
Thank for uploading this sonic gem.
@thendrjazz
Lionel Hampton's drums start off this great version of a new tune that will become a standard. Louis recorded with Les Hite's band that Louis was fronting at Fran Sebastian's Cotton Club in the Los Angeles area in 1930
@micaiahsmart998
This is louis? He sounds like fats weller
@paulluchter137
Waller