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 cheatin' Heart
Louis Armstrong Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Your cheating heart will tell on you
When tears come down like falling rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll walk the floor, yes, the way I do
When tears come down like falling rain
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll walk the floor, yes, the way I do
Your cheating heart will tell on you
Yes, your cheating heart will tell on you
Louis Armstrong's song "Your Cheatin' Heart" depicts a story of a heartbroken lover who has been cheated on by his partner. The song describes how the cheater's actions will ultimately lead to their downfall and how their guilty conscience will torment them. The song starts by saying that the cheater's actions will lead them to cry and try to sleep, but they won't find any solace in doing so. The second verse describes how the cheater will be plagued with guilt and cry like "falling rain" and will try to call the name of their lover. The final line of the verse "You'll walk the floor, yes, the way I do" suggests that the singer has been in this situation before, and has seen the heartbreaking consequences that come with cheating. The chorus repeats the theme that "your cheating heart will tell on you" and reminds the listener that the truth will always come out.
The song is a classic country and western song that was written by Hank Williams in 1952. Since then, it has been covered by various artists across various genres. Louis Armstrong's version is unique in that it features his signature trumpet and a jazz-influenced arrangement. Armstrong's rendition brings out the sadness and longing in the lyrics and creates a very soulful version of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Your cheating heart will make you weep
If you cheat, your emotions will overwhelm you and bring you to tears.
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
Despite your best efforts, you will cry persistently and struggle to get any rest.
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Your guilt and anxiety will keep you awake all night long.
Your cheating heart will tell on you
Your internal conscience will reveal the truth about your infidelity.
When tears come down like falling rain
Your emotions will be so intense that tears will flow continuously like a heavy rainfall.
You'll toss around and call my name
You will be tormented by guilt and cannot control your movements or thoughts, and you will call out for your lover's support.
You'll walk the floor, yes, the way I do
You'll be so anxious and restless that you'll pace back and forth, much like I do when I sense something is wrong.
Your cheating heart will tell on you
Once again, your conscience will convict you and expose your unfaithfulness to your partner.
Yes, your cheating heart will tell on you
Your heart is a truthful organ that speaks volumes, even when you try to deceive; it always reveals the truth about your actions.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WARREN M. DEFEVER D/B/A PERFORATE MY HEART MUSIC
Written by: HANK WILLIAMS, SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John NotGalt
Love this cover, especially his trumpet solo! There’s no more beautiful sound than hearing jazz great Louis play one of country great Hank Williams’ melodies on his trumpet!!
jasonmit
Great song. I actually have this on 78rpm. Best way to listen to it.
Marie Ralph
Thanks for this, Praguedive. The song was written by Hank Williams in 1952, and Louis recorded it in Detroit, Michigan, USA on February 23, 1953. It' was billed as "Louis Armstrong With Sy Oliver's Orchestra", but it's really Armstrong's All Stars with some session men (from the "michaelminn armstrong" discography). Much more about Louis at the excellent "dippermouth dot blogspot". "dippermouth" is Ricky Riccardi, a researcher at the Louis Armstrong Museum in New York.
Hammer Nail
Bring it!
maeviac30
love the backbeat drum,so lazy how it should be
JTO o
Decent little cover of Hank Williams song.
Israel de Oliveira Rodrigues
Tanks for this song. I d`like you post this song with Nat King Cole too, Ok ?
SuperAdmiral23
thank you pandora
Hammer Nail
Bring it!
Hammer Nail
Bring it!