Shine
Louis Armstrong & His Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra Lyrics

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'Cause my hair is curly
Just because my teeth are pearly
Just because I always wear a smile
Like to dress up in the latest style

'Cause I'm glad I'm livin'
I take these troubles all with a smile
Just because my color's shady

That's the difference, maybe, why they call me

Shine, sway your bluesies
Why don't you shine?
Start with your shoesies
Shine each place up, make it look like new
Shine your face up; I want to see you wear a smile or two

Why don't you shine your these and thoseies?
You'll find everything gonna turn out right fine
Folks will shine up to ya
Everybody's gonna howdy doody do-ya
You'll make the whole world shine

Oh, chocolate drop, that's me

'Cause my hair is curly (man's got curly hair)
Now just because my teeth are pearly (also got pearly teeth)
Just because I always wear a smile (oh, keep on smiling)
Like to dress us, babe, in the latest style

'Cause I'm glad I'm livin'
I take these troubles all with a smile
Now just because my color's shady (you's a shady baby)
That's the difference, maybe, why they call me

Shine away your bluesies

Shine, start with your shoesies
You'll make the whole world shine

Overall Meaning

The Louis Armstrong song Shine was released in the year 1923, at the peak of the Jazz Age. The song has become a jazz standard and is included in several of Armstrong's albums. The song's lyrics are reflective of the time period's social and racial tensions.

The lyrics suggest that Armstrong was aware that his race made him vulnerable to discrimination and prejudice. However, he refused to be constrained by societal expectations and took pride in his appearance and attitude. The lyrics also reflect the idea of self-worth and resilience, where the singer refuses to let the negative opinions of others bring him down. The song also emphasizes that true happiness comes from within and encourages the listener to show their inner light by shining on the world.

Line by Line Meaning

'Cause my hair is curly
The singer has curly hair

Just because my teeth are pearly
The singer has teeth that are pearly white

Just because I always wear a smile
The singer likes to keep a positive attitude and always has a smile on their face

Like to dress up in the latest style
The singer enjoys dressing in modern and stylish clothing

'Cause I'm glad I'm livin'
The singer is happy to be alive

I take these troubles all with a smile
The singer faces their problems with a positive attitude

Just because my color's shady
The singer has darker skin

That's the difference, maybe, why they call me
The singer believes that their skin color may be the reason why they are called by a certain nickname

Shine, sway your bluesies
The singer encourages the listeners to shine and cheer up their saddened mood

Why don't you shine?
The singer is asking the listeners why they are not putting forth effort to be their best selves

Start with your shoesies
The singer advises the listeners to start by cleaning up their shoes and dressing up

Shine each place up, make it look like new
The singer encourages the listeners to tidy up and improve their surroundings

Shine your face up; I want to see you wear a smile or two
The singer wants to see the listeners' happy faces

Why don't you shine your these and thoseies?
The singer reminds the listeners to polish up everything to present their best selves

You'll find everything gonna turn out right fine
The singer believes that good things will happen if the listeners try to improve their lives

Folks will shine up to ya
The singer predicts that people will respect and admire the listeners for their efforts

Everybody's gonna howdy doody do-ya
The singer predicts that the listeners will receive a warm welcome from everyone else

You'll make the whole world shine
The singer believes that if everyone tries to improve themselves and their surroundings, the world will be a better place

Oh, chocolate drop, that's me
The singer describes themselves as having darker skin

Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: CECIL MACK, FORD DABNEY, LEW BROWN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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