In his youth, Prima played trumpet with Irving Fazola, his brother's band, and the pit band of the Saenger Theater. In 1933 he began his busy recording career, as part of the David Rose orchestra at station WGN, Chicago; he was also part of the small recording group The Hotcha Trio, with Rose on piano and Norman Gast on violin. In 1934 Prima moved to New York, working regularly on 52nd Street with old New Orleans friends like Eddie Miller (tenor sax and clarinet) and George Brunies (trombone), and also new acquaintances like Pee Wee Russell (clarinet). Prima's informal jazz group was known as Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang, and this band recorded prolifically for Brunswick through 1936, and then for Vocalion and Decca.
Prima's 1936 composition, "Sing Sing Sing", which he had released with the New Orleans Gang in March, 1936 as a Brunswick 78, Brunswick 7628, with "It's Been So Long" as the B side, became one of his biggest hits and one of the most covered standards of the swing era; Benny Goodman's performance of the song at Carnegie Hall with a featured performance by Gene Krupa on drums has become iconic.
Louis Prima and His Band
Prima moved to Los Angeles to headline at the Famous Door nightclub. He appeared in several Hollywood movies, including a featured performance with Bing Crosby in the 1936 film Rhythm on the Range. Prima and his Dixieland Gang continued to play club dates across the nation, including a 1939 stint at New York's Hickory House.
Big bands were big business then, and Prima apparently bowed to pressure from booking agents and formed a conventional big band in 1940. He exploited a distinctive, shuffling beat (which he called "Gleeby Rhythm"); this trademark Prima shuffle remained part of his repertoire for two decades. Prima sang most of the band vocals, with Lily Ann Carol as the "girl singer." Prima's high-powered drummer at this time was Jimmy Vincent, an energetic teenager who remained with the Prima band for many years.
In 1947 he added singer Cathy Ricciardi, who recorded under the name Cathy Allen. She was succeeded in 1949 by Keely Smith (who was to become his fourth wife), and the band concentrated on novelty songs like "Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo)" and "All Right, Louis, Drop the Gun." Prima's big band continued into the early 1950s, with a series of novelty recordings supervised (sometimes heavy-handedly) by record producer Mitch Miller.
Vegas years
The popularity of the big-band sound started to wane, and Prima began losing money, just as he needed it to support the pregnant Smith. Prima found work with Smith in small venues all over the East Coast. Eventually he called up his friend Bill Miller, who was then entertainment director of The Sahara nightclub and casino in Las Vegas, and asked for a job. His friend Cab Calloway warned him against the cramped Sahara lounge, but the financial pressure was too great. Prima telephoned saxophonist Sam Butera and instructed him to pick up a few musicians and go to Las Vegas in time for Prima's debut.
Prima acknowledged his new musicians for the opening-night crowd, and spontaneously asked Butera what the name of the band was. Butera ad-libbed, "The Witnesses!" From then on, Sam Butera and the Witnesses backed Prima and Smith on stage and records.
Prima and Smith worked hard throughout the 1950s, performing multiple shows a night and finishing at 6 a.m. Their efforts were rewarded with a resurgence in their popularity, and they were at least partly responsible for making the lounge at The Sahara a hotspot. On stage, Prima insisted on Smith adopting a humorless, poker-faced character that would play straight to Prima's zany ad libs. Smith actually had a fine sense of comedy that is often audible on the team's recordings; no matter how much the incorrigible Prima tried to disrupt her vocals, Smith would often come back with a funny remark of her own.
Louis Prima and Keely Smith were very much the model for Sonny & Cher: the exuberant Italian musician and the serious, exotic female singer, Smith and Cher both being of Cherokee descent (although Cher's heritage is primarily Armenian). Similarly, echoes of the stage banter between Prima and Butera would be heard years later in the early performances of the E Street Band and the interplay between Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons.
In 1959, Prima and Smith won the Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for "That Old Black Magic."
In 1956 the Prima ensemble performed at the Sahara Hotel and Casino to record tracks for the album The Wildest!. It was an attempt by Capitol Records to capture the essence of the Vegas act. Over the next nine years, Prima and Smith raised two children, while he made scores of records, owned racehorses, appeared on television, and even opened a golf course. They outgrew the lounge and were promoted to the big room. They appeared in a few quickie musical films, including Senior Prom and Hey Boy! Hey Girl! Prima co-produced the feature Twist All Night, in which his band also appeared.
During this whirlwind of activity, according to Smith, the couple drifted farther and farther apart. One night, he refused to conduct for one of Smith's performances, delegating to Butera instead. A few days later they were in court, petitioning for divorce.
Later years
Following the divorce, he began dating Gia Maione. Maione was a long-time fan of Prima's, was already familiar with all the arrangements to his songs, and even kept a signed photo of him in her purse. She eventually became Prima's fifth and final wife, and was with the band right up until 1975. By this point, the band was putting out a markedly different and more contemporary sound, with electric organs and synthesizers, even dabbling in progressive rock.
In 1967 Prima's distinctive voice and jazzy delivery landed him a role in Walt Disney's animated feature The Jungle Book, as the raucous orangutan King Louie. He performed the hit song "I Wanna Be Like You" on the soundtrack, leading to the recording of two albums with Phil Harris: The Jungle Book and More Jungle Book, on Disneyland Records. He can also be heard on the soundtrack of another cartoon feature, The Man Called Flintstone.
He suffered a mild heart attack in 1973. In 1975, following headaches and episodes of memory loss, Louis Prima sought medical attention, and found out he had a stem brain tumor. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma following surgery to remove the tumor. He never recovered, and died three years later, having been moved back to New Orleans. He was buried in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans; his gray marble crypt is topped by a figure of Gabriel, the trumpeter-angel. The inscription on the crypt's door quote the lyrics from one of his hits: "When the end comes, I know, they'll all say 'just a gigolo' as life goes on without me. Lovingly, your little family..."
I've Got the World on a String
Louis Prima Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm sittin' on a rainbow
Got the string around my little finger
What a world, what a life, I'm in love
I've got a song that I sing
And I can make the rain go
Anytime I move my crazy little finger
Lucky me, lucky me
Can't you see, I'm in love
Sam, life is a beautiful thing
Boy, you gotta have a little zing
Now if I could only sing like bing
Man, I could really swing (look out now)
Yes, I've got the world on a string
And I'm sittin' on a rainbow
Got the string around my finger
Yeah, what a world, oh what a life
What a life and what a world riddle
What a life and what a riddle world
I got the world on a string
I'm sitting on a rainbow
I got that string around my little finger
What a world, 'cause I'm in love (oh)
What a song, the stars above (oh)
What a world 'cause I'm in love
Love love love
I got the song that I sing
And I can make the rain go
Anytime anytime anytime
I move my little finger
Lucky me, lucky me, lucky me
Lucky me, lucky me, lucky me
Lucky me, lucky me, lucky me, heh, lucky me
Mmm, and life is a wonderful thing
Oh you gotta come up with that zing, Sam
Boy if you could only find that thing
We could play ting a ling
Yes, I've got the world on a string
And I'm sitting on a rainbow
I've got that string around my finger
Hey, what a world
Oh, oh, oh, oh what a life
What a world
What a life
I'm in love
Louis Prima and Keely Smith with Sam Butera and The Witnesses's song "I've Got The World On A String" is a jazzy, upbeat tune about feeling on top of the world and in love. The opening lines, "I've got the world on a string and I'm sittin' on a rainbow" capture the feeling of being in control and having everything going for you. The singers then mention having a song that they can sing and make the rain go away at the snap of their fingers. They express gratitude for their good fortune, singing "Lucky me, lucky me, can't you see, I'm in love."
Sam Butera and The Witnesses's instrumental skill and Prima and Smith's vocal talent shine through in this song. They playfully rib each other, with Prima suggesting that if Butera could sing like Bing Crosby, he could "really swing." The song is all about celebrating life and being in love, and the performers perfectly capture that sense of joyful abandon.
Overall, "I've Got The World On A String" is a lighthearted, toe-tapping song that captures the spirit of living life to the fullest. With its upbeat melody and charming lyrics, it's no wonder that this song has remained a beloved classic over the years.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the world on a string
I feel like I have everything under control and I'm on top of the world
And I'm sittin' on a rainbow
I'm experiencing unparalleled joy and happiness
Got the string around my little finger
I have everything I desire and I can easily control and manipulate situations
What a world, what a life, I'm in love
I am in awe of how amazing my life is and I'm head over heels in love with it
I've got a song that I sing
I have a talent that brings me immense pleasure and joy
And I can make the rain go
I have the power to overcome adversity and turn negative situations into positive ones
Anytime I move my crazy little finger
My actions can have a profound effect on the world around me
Lucky me, lucky me, lucky me
I am grateful for all the good fortune in my life
Can't you see, I'm in love
I am infatuated with life and all its possibilities
Sam, life is a beautiful thing
Life is a precious gift that we should cherish
Boy, you gotta have a little zing
We need to approach life with energy and enthusiasm
Now if I could only sing like bing
I wish I had a talent like Bing Crosby's
Man, I could really swing (look out now)
I would be able to entertain and impress people with my talent
What a world, oh what a life
Life is filled with amazing things that make it worth living
What a life and what a world riddle
Life is full of mysteries and challenges that we need to solve and overcome
I got the world on a string
I still feel like I have everything under control and I'm on top of the world
I'm sitting on a rainbow
I'm still experiencing unparalleled joy and happiness
What a world, 'cause I'm in love (oh)
My love for life is as strong as ever
What a song, the stars above (oh)
My talent brings me immense joy and I'm grateful for it
Love love love
I am filled with love for life and all its wonders
Anytime anytime anytime
I have the power to overcome adversity at any time
Lucky me, lucky me, lucky me, heh, lucky me
I am still grateful for all the good fortune in my life
Mmm, and life is a wonderful thing
Life is still a precious gift that we should cherish
Oh you gotta come up with that zing, Sam
We should always be looking for new and exciting ways to approach life
Boy if you could only find that thing
If only you could find your own talent that brings you joy and fulfillment
We could play ting a ling
We could create amazing music together and entertain people
Hey, what a world
Life is still full of wonderful things
Oh, oh, oh, oh what a life
I am still in awe of how amazing my life is
What a world
The world is still an amazing and beautiful place
I'm in love
I am still head over heels in love with my life
Lyrics © S.A. MUSIC
Written by: Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind