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 just in love
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I smell blossoms and the trees are bare
All day long I seem to walk on air
I wonder why, I wonder why
I keep tossing in my sleep at night
And what's more I've lost my appetite
Stars that used to twinkle in the skies
You don't need analyzing
It is not so surprising
That you feel very strange but nice
Your heart goes pitter patter
I know just what's the matter
Because I've been there once or twice
Put your head on my shoulder
You need someone who's older
A rub down with a velvet glove
There is nothing you can take
To relieve that pleasant ache
You're not sick, you're just in love
I hear singing and there's no one there
You don't need analyzing, it is not so surprising
I smell blossoms and the trees are bare
That you feel very strange but nice
All day long I seem to walk on air
Your heart goes pitter patter, I know just what's the matter
I wonder why, I wonder why
Because I've been there once or twice
I keep tossing in my sleep at night
Put your head on my shoulder, you need someone who's older
And what's more I've lost my appetite
A rub down with a velvet glove
Stars that used to twinkle in the skies
There is nothing you can take
Are twinkling in my eyes
To relieve that pleasant ache
I wonder why
You're not sick you're just in love
Louis Armstrong's song You're Just in Love is a joyful, upbeat love song that describes the classic symptoms of being in love. The song begins with the singer recounting how they hear singing and smell blossoms, even though no one is there and the trees are bare. They seem to be walking on air and can't explain why. The chorus of the song assures the listener that they don't need analyzing and that feeling strange but nice is a sign of being in love. The singer knows just what the matter is because they have been in love before.
The second verse goes on to describe how the singer tosses and turns in their sleep and has lost their appetite. They see stars twinkling in their eyes and can't explain why. The chorus repeats, emphasizing that the listener is not sick but just in love. The final stanza tells the listener to put their head on the singer's shoulder and that they need someone who's older to give them a rub down with a velvet glove. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, encouraging the listener not to worry but to embrace their new feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear singing and there's no one there
I can hear your heart singing even when you're alone and it's a sign that you're falling in love
I smell blossoms and the trees are bare
When you're in love, you'll notice even the smallest changes in nature which can be a pleasing or sad experience
All day long I seem to walk on air
Love can give you a certain euphoria that leaves you feeling happy and carefree all day long
I wonder why, I wonder why
You might be curious about why you're feeling this way, but it's common and natural to question yourself
I keep tossing in my sleep at night
The intensity of your feelings can cause you to lose sleep and become restless at night
And what's more I've lost my appetite
Love can affect you physically and mentally, including a loss of appetite or other changes in your eating habits
Stars that used to twinkle in the skies
The way you experience the world around you changes when you're in love, even the stars might seem more vibrant and alive
Are twinkling in my eyes, I wonder why
You might find yourself tearing up or feeling emotional when thinking about your love, it's a natural reaction
You don't need analyzing
You don't have to overthink your feelings, it's just a natural part of human experience
It is not so surprising
Falling in love is a common and universal experience that many people go through
That you feel very strange but nice
The feelings you're having might be new or unusual, but they're enjoyable and make you feel good
Your heart goes pitter patter
Your heart might beat faster or flutter when you're around the person you love, it's a sign that you're enamored with them
I know just what's the matter
I've been in love before too, so I understand exactly what you're going through
Put your head on my shoulder
I'm here for you and want to provide comfort and support as you navigate your feelings
You need someone who's older
Sometimes it's helpful to have someone with more experience guide you through the ups and downs of love
A rub down with a velvet glove
Love can be both rough and tender, a little like being massaged with a soft velvet glove
There is nothing you can take
There's no easy fix or cure for falling in love, it's a process you have to go through and experience fully
To relieve that pleasant ache
The longing you feel when you're in love can be both pleasurable and painful, but it's a part of the experience
You're not sick, you're just in love
Don't worry, what you're feeling is normal and it's a sign that you've found something special in someone else
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anonymous
on What A Wonderful World
What A Wonderful World - Casey Abrams - Lyrics
I see trees of green
Red roses too
I see them bloom
For me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue
And clouds of white
The bright blessed day
The dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They'll learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Musical Interlude
The colors of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Singing how do you do
They're really singing
I love you
I hear babies cry
I watch them grow
They goin’ learn much more
Than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I think to myself
What a wonderful world