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.
Your 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 rendition of "Your Cheatin' Heart" is a classic country song that tells the story of a cheating lover. The song warns the unfaithful partner that their wandering heart will ultimately be exposed and cause them emotional and physical turmoil. The lyrics describe the painful consequences of cheating, including sleepless nights spent crying and calling out the name of the one they betrayed. The chorus of the song, "Your cheating heart will tell on you," serves as a reminder that even if the cheater thinks they can keep their infidelity a secret, their guilty conscience will eventually reveal the truth.
The emotional delivery of the song by Louis Armstrong is what makes it a classic. The smooth sound of the trumpet perfectly complements the words, creating a sense of melancholy and regret. The song, originally written by Hank Williams, was a major hit in the country music scene in the mid-20th century. However, Armstrong's cover has brought the song to a wider audience and cemented its timeless appeal.
Overall, "Your Cheatin' Heart" is a warning against infidelity that has stood the test of time. Its combination of heartfelt lyrics and beautiful music makes it a classic that people will continue to appreciate for years to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Your cheating heart will make you weep
Being unfaithful will cause you great sorrow and misery
You'll cry and cry and try to sleep
You will shed countless tears and attempt to rest, but to no avail
But sleep won't come the whole night through
Despite your efforts to fall asleep, you will be restless all night long
Your cheating heart will tell on you
Your guilty conscience will inevitably reveal your infidelity
When tears come down like falling rain
As emotions overwhelm you, your tears will flow uncontrollably
You'll toss around and call my name
You'll be writhing in emotional pain, calling out for comfort and relief from your lover
You'll walk the floor, yes, the way I do
You'll wander aimlessly, experiencing the same pain and heartache that I have felt as a result of your betrayal
Your cheating heart will tell on you
Your unfaithfulness will inevitably be exposed by your own guilty conscience
Yes, your cheating heart will tell on you
No matter how much you try to hide your infidelity, your conscience will always betray you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
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!