Celebrities / Influencers

71 Louis Armstrong Quotes on Life & Music (SATCHMO)

December 2, 2023December 2, 2023

Top 10 Most Famous Louis Armstrong Quotes (BEST)

“Making money ain’t nothing exciting to me. You might be able to buy a little better booze than the wino on the corner. But you get sick just like the next cat and when you die you’re just as graveyard dead as he is.”
Louis Armstrong

Give me a kiss to build a dream on, and my imagination will thrive upon that kiss. — Give me a kiss to build a dream on, and my imagination will thrive upon that kiss.

If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it. And if I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it.

I never want to be anything more than I am; what I don't have, I don't need. — I never want to be anything more than I am; what I don’t have, I don’t need.

What we play is life. — What we play is life.

You've got to be good or as bad as the devil. When you're dead, you're done. — You’ve got to be good or as bad as the devil. When you’re dead, you’re done.

Never play anything the same way twice.

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. — The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night.

A lot of cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original. — A lot of cats copy the Mona Lisa, but people still line up to see the original.

If you don’t understand it, don’t mess with it.

10 Thought-Provoking Louis Armstrong Quotes

The best way I can do is to stay happy. — The best way I can do is to stay happy.

If ya ain't got it in ya, ya can't blow it out. — If ya ain’t got it in ya, ya can’t blow it out.

There are some people that if they don't know, you can't tell them. — There are some people that if they don’t know, you can’t tell them.

All them weird chords which don't mean a thing, you got no melody to remember, and no beat to dance to. — All them weird chords which don’t mean a thing, you got no melody to remember, and no beat to dance to.

Don't do nothing halfway, else you find yourself dropping more than can be picked up. — Don’t do nothing halfway, else you find yourself dropping more than can be picked up.

I got a simple rule about everybody. If you don't treat me right - shame on you. — I got a simple rule about everybody. If you don’t treat me right – shame on you.

There is no such thing as 'on the way out' as long as you are still doing something interesting and good; you're in the business because you're breathing. — There is no such thing as ‘on the way out’ as long as you are still doing something interesting and good; you’re in the business because you’re breathing.

It really puzzles me to see marijuana connected with narcotics dope and all of that stuff. It is a thousand times better than whiskey. It is an assistant and a friend. — It really puzzles me to see marijuana connected with narcotics dope and all of that stuff. It is a thousand times better than whiskey. It is an assistant and a friend.

Unless you know what it is I ain't never going to be able to explain it to you. — Unless you know what it is I ain’t never going to be able to explain it to you.

Not too slow, not too fast. Kind of like half-fast.

15 Louis Armstrong Quotes About Music

“‘Cat?’ ‘Cat’ can be anybody from the guy in the gutter to a lawyer, doctor, the biggest man to the lowest man, but if he’s in there with a good heart and enjoy the same music together, he’s a cat.”
Louis Armstrong

Man, all music is folk music. You ain’t never heard no horse sing a song, have you — Man, all music is folk music. You ain’t never heard no horse sing a song, have you?

Musicians don't retire; they stop when there's no more music in them. — Musicians don’t retire; they stop when there’s no more music in them.

“My life has always been my music, it’s always come first, but the music ain’t worth nothing if you can’t lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, ’cause what you’re there for is to please the people.”
Louis Armstrong

There is two kinds of music, the good, and the bad. I play the good kind.

We all do 'do, re, mi,' but you have got to find the other notes yourself. — We all do ‘do, re, mi,’ but you have got to find the other notes yourself.

“The Brick House was one of the toughest joints I ever played in. Guys would drink and fight one another like circle saws. Bottles would come flying over the bandstand like crazy and there was lots of plain common shooting and cutting. But somehow all that jive didn’t faze me at all. I was so happy to have some place to blow my horn.”
Louis Armstrong

Music is life itself. What would this world be without good music No matter what kind it is. — Music is life itself. What would this world be without good music? No matter what kind it is.

Well, I tell you the first chorus, I plays the melody. The second chorus, I plays the melody round the melody, and the third chorus, I routines.

“You see, pops, that’s the kind of talk that’s ruining the music. Everyone’s trying to do something new, no one trying to learn the fundamentals first. All them young cats playing their weird chords. And what happens? No one’s working.”
Louis Armstrong

Each man has his own music bubbling up inside him.

I don't care who I'm playing for or where I'm playing. My mind never leaves that tailgate. — I don’t care who I’m playing for or where I’m playing. My mind never leaves that tailgate.

“You can’t take it for granted. Even if we have two, three days off I still have to blow that horn a few hours to keep up the chops. I mean I’ve been playing 50 years, and that’s what I’ve been doing in order to keep in that groove there.”
Louis Armstrong

If it sounds good, it is good.

You either have it or you don’t. You play your horn just like you sing a song or a hymn. If it’s in your heart, you express yourself in the tune.

9 Louis Armstrong Quotes About Jazz

“Very few of the men whose names have become great in the early pioneering of jazz and of swing were trained in music at all. They were born musicians: they felt their music and played by ear and memory. That was the way it was with the great Dixieland Five.”
Louis Armstrong

If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know. — If you have to ask what jazz is, you’ll never know.

My whole life, my whole soul, my whole spirit is to blow that horn.

I was determined to play my horn against all odds, and I had to sacrifice a whole lot of pleasure to do so. — I was determined to play my horn against all odds, and I had to sacrifice a whole lot of pleasure to do so.

The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician. Things like old folks singing in the moonlight in the back yard on a hot night or something said long ago.

Even if I have two three days off, you still have to blow that horn. You have to keep up those chops. I have to warm up everyday for at least an hour.

Hot can be cool, and cool can be hot, and each can be both. But hot or cool, man, jazz is jazz.

To jazz, or not to jazz, there is no question!

Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it. — Jazz is played from the heart. You can even live by it. Always love it.

3 Louis Armstrong Quotes About Love

“Seems to me it ain’t the world that’s so bad but what we’re doing to it, and all I’m saying is: see what a wonderful world it would be if only we’d give it a chance. Love, baby – love. That’s the secret.”
Louis Armstrong

You got to love to be able to play.

Love is talkative passion. — Love is talkative passion.

4 Louis Armstrong Quotes About New Orleans

“Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans. When that’s where you left your heart. The moonlight on the bayou a creole tune that fills the air. I dream about magnolias in bloom and I’m wishin’ I was there.”
Louis Armstrong

Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of good old New Orleans. It has given me something to live for. — Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine, I look right into the heart of good old New Orleans. It has given me something to live for.

The first time I left New Orleans I went to St Louis with Fate's band on the boat and to my surprise – we were the first colored band to play with the Streckfus Steamers. — The first time I left New Orleans I went to St Louis with Fate’s band on the boat and to my surprise – we were the first colored band to play with the Streckfus Steamers.

“As a youngster in the little orphanage home in New Orleans, I was the bugler of the institution. When I got to be around 13 or 14 years old, they took me off the bugle and put me in the little brass band.”
Louis Armstrong

2 Louis Armstrong Quotes About Women

“When I play, maybe ‘Back o’ Town Blues,’ I’m thinking about one of the old, low-down moments – when maybe your woman didn’t treat you right. That’s a hell of a moment when a woman tell you, ‘I got another mule in my stall.’.”
Louis Armstrong

I like kissable lips. A woman's lips must say, 'Come here and kiss me, Pops.'. — I like kissable lips. A woman’s lips must say, ‘Come here and kiss me, Pops.’.

18 Louis Armstrong Quotes That Will Make You Think

“I had a long time admiration for the Jewish people. Especially with their long time of courage, taking so much abuse for so long. I was only seven years old, but I could easily see the ungodly treatment that the white folks were handing the poor Jewish family whom I worked for.”
Louis Armstrong

The first time I heard Jack Teagarden on the trombone, I had goose pimples all over.

You blows who you is.

“When this ugly gangster told Joe Glaser that he must take the name of Armstrong down, off of the marquee, and it was an ‘order from Al Capone,’ Mr. Glaser looked this cat straight in the face and told him these words: ‘I think that Louis Armstrong is the world’s greatest, and this is my place, and I defy anybody to take his name down from there.’.”
Louis Armstrong

I warm up at home. I hit the stage, I'm ready, whether it's rehearsal or anything. — I warm up at home. I hit the stage, I’m ready, whether it’s rehearsal or anything.

What do I want to get famous for What do I care about famous The public does that. That ain't me man. I just blow. — What do I want to get famous for? What do I care about famous? The public does that. That ain’t me man. I just blow.

“I gathered that those two Big-shot Boys, Joe + Fletcher, just was afraid to let me sing, thinking maybe I’d sort of ruin their reputations with their musical public. They not knowing that I had been singing all of my life. In churches, etc. I had one of the finest All Boys Quartets that ever walked the streets of New Orleans.”
Louis Armstrong

I was at a little Italian trumpet player's house, and his mother was a Countess, well they was makin' that spaghetti and we was wailin', you know. — I was at a little Italian trumpet player’s house, and his mother was a Countess, well they was makin’ that spaghetti and we was wailin’, you know.

“When the other kids started calling me nicknames, I knew everything was all right. I have a pretty big mouth, so they hit on that and began calling me Gatemouth or Satchelmouth, and that Satchelmouth has stuck to me all my life, except that now it’s been made into ‘Satchmo’ – ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong.”
Louis Armstrong

At first it was just a misdemeanor, but then you lost the mis-de and you just got meaner and meaner. — At first it was just a misdemeanor, but then you lost the “mis-de” and you just got meaner and meaner.

I don’t let my head say nothin’ my head can’t stand.

“We never did try to get together and to show the younger Negroes such as myself, to try and even to show that he has ambitions – and with just a little encouragement, I could have really done something worthwhile. But instead, we did nothing but let the young upstarts know that they were young and simple, and that was that.”
Louis Armstrong

I'm a spade, you're an ofay. Let's play. — I’m a spade, you’re an ofay. Let’s play.

The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell!

“I saw the Pope too, you know. And he’s a fine little fella, you know. He was tickled to death to know that the Italian people enjoyed our music and he could speak on any subject, in all kind of languages, you know.”
Louis Armstrong

I don’t get involved in politics. I just blow my horn.

I don’t need words. It’s all in the phrasing.

“I’ll bet right now most of the youngsters and hot club fans who hear the name Storyville hasn’t the least idea that it consisted of some of the biggest prostitutes in the world. Standing in their doorways nightly in their fine and beautiful negligees — faintly calling to the boys as they passed their cribs.”
Louis Armstrong

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(MUST READ) Satchmo (Da Capo Paperback)

Satchmo (Da Capo Paperback) — Satchmo (Da Capo Paperback)

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Louis Armstrong Quotes on Life & Music (SATCHMO) - Gracious Quotes

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