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 Can Depend on Me
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll always love you
You know you can depend on me
Now, mama, though someone you've met
Has made you forget, babe
You know you can count on me
Now, baby, I must confess
I'll be lonely, I'll be lonely, I'll be lonely
If you ever need a friend, babe
I'll be yours till the end
You know you can depend on me
Louis Armstrong's song "You Can Depend on Me" is a beautiful ballad about love, loyalty, and friendship. In the first verse, the singer addresses a past lover who has ended their relationship. Despite this, the singer declares that they will always love this person and that they can depend on them no matter what. The singer seems to be accepting of the breakup, understanding that their ex has found someone new but still holds out hope that they can be there for the person in the future.
In the second verse, the singer directly addresses their ex-lover, calling them "mama" and acknowledging that someone else has come into their life. Even though their ex may think they don't need the singer anymore, the singer insists that they can still depend on them. The singer wants their ex to be happy, but they also admit that they will be lonely without them. The final verse declares that the singer will always be a friend to their ex-lover and will be there for them when they need it.
Overall, "You Can Depend On Me" is a heartfelt declaration of love and support to someone who is no longer a romantic partner but still holds a special place in the singer's heart. It is a beautiful reminder that love can take many forms and that we can always be there for those we care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Although you said we're through, babe
Even though you've called it quits with me, my affection for you remains unchanged
I'll always love you
There is no change in my love for you, it stays strong and constant
You know you can depend on me
You can rely on me, forever and always
Now, mama, though someone you've met
Even though you've found someone else, honey
Has made you forget, babe
If someone else has clouded your mind
You know you can count on me
Trust me, baby, you can always rely on me
Now, honey, I wish you success, loads of happiness
Beloved, my heart desires for you to achieve great things and be ecstatic always
Now, baby, I must confess
I have to be honest, darling
I'll be lonely, I'll be lonely, I'll be lonely
I'll feel so lonely without you by my side
If you ever need a friend, babe
If you ever need a companion, my love
I'll be yours till the end
I'll be unfailing, devoted to you forever
You know you can depend on me
You can count on me, forever and always
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHARLES CARPENTER, EARL HINES, LOUIS DUNLAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Django44
I could listen to this era of Pops' music forever. There is something especially appealing in his vocal and instrumental phrasing, the sound of his voice, the orchestration, melodies and harmonies, all very agreeable. Difficult to define...
@johnwhitehead3360
THE ONE AND ONLY - PRIVILEGED TO MEET HIM IN THE UK. HE KINDLY AUTOGRAPHED AN LP FOR MY DAUGHTER - THANK YOU
@fillra01
Hi, Daggerville. Louis did record this tune in 1951, it was a 'live' recording with the six-piece All Stars during a concert in Pasadena, California, but the original recording was the one put up by bsgs98, done in the OKeh studio in 1931 with a ten-piece band. I use the "michaelminn armstrong" discography to check dates, etc. "dippermouth blog" is excellent for all things Louis. It is run by Ricky Riccardi, a musician, an author, and Archivist at the the Louis Armstrong House Museum, NY.
@Django44
Jos Willems' "All of Me" is also an outstanding reference. Published in 2006, it quickly became the go-to source for the most thorough discography available.
@fillra01
Thanks for putting the words up. Great photos, too.
@Trombonology
Louis was the greatest -- brilliant; he truly rates all the superlatives. Unquestionably the most important musical figure of the 20th century. This side provides a fine example of his unrivalled sense of architectural balance. All his "babes" and "mamas" in the vocal match his improvisatory approach to the trumpet; he instinctively knew how to smooth out the lines with his additions/modifications here and there. Great!
@fillra01
Yes, yes, yes! The greatest! The "dippermouth blog" is excellent for all things Louis... stories, audios, videos, photos. Also 'Louis Armstrong' on facebook.
@TheFunkyKingston
Great..................................
@Daggerville1
Thank you for replying, I appreciate it. Wikipedia was very vague on this hence why I found strange the date differences.
@cabanna1
Such a great talented man! Just Awesome!