Talkin’ Music with Jack – What a Wonderful World

What a Wonderful World

Louis Armstrong and Civil Rights

By Jack Coll

1-22-14

     A week ago I authored a couple of columns pertaining to Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.  A question came up pertaining to the song “What A Wonderful World” and that the song was written as a civil rights laced song.  Well, it certainly raised a little conversation as the song proclaims how the artist, (Louis Armstrong) perhaps sees the world if black and whites all got along, “What a wonderful world.”  Well, the song was recorded in 1967 putting the timing of the song into the heat of the movement.  

     Well Armstrong himself once stated that it didn’t have anything to do with the civil rights movement, but Armstrong didn’t write the song.  “What a Wonderful World” was written by Bob Thiele (as “George Douglas”) and George David Weiss.  The writers claim that the song was intended as an antidote for the increasingly racially and politically charged climate of everyday life in the country.  Their lyrics were written with an optimistic tone regarding the future.  Could babies be born into a world growing up, able to walk into an establishment without seeing a “For Whites Only” sign.

     If it was an injustice song I wonder why it was offered to Tony Bennett, who turned it down, had Bennett recorded the song, I don’t think we would be having this conversation.  Even though George Weiss claims he wrote it for Armstrong he offered it to Bennett first.  Weiss later stated that Louis Armstrong had the ability to bring people both black and white together.  While the song was a hit in other countries it barley sold 1,000 copies in the United States.

     Armstrong was criticized for many years by African American artists stating that he didn’t do enough for his race.  Armstrong had the ear of the country especially in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Armstrong stepped very carefully as he was accepted into the white community both on stage and off.  Louis dined in the country’s best restaurants, reserved for whites only, and stayed in some of the finest hotels, a benefit very few African Americans had. 

     Armstrong didn’t let that stop him when it was his turn to speak out on the national stage.  On September 4, 1957, the Governor of Arkansas, Oral Faubus defied a court order that ended public school segregation.  Faubus called out the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African American students, “The Little Rock Nine” from entering Little Rock Central High School.  Four days later Louis Armstrong spoke out calling President Eisenhower two-faced and gutless because of his in-action during the conflict over school desegregation in Little Rock.  Armstrong also stated that Eisenhower should come to Little Rock personally and walk the African American students into the school himself.  Six days later President Eisenhower called for the National Guard to protect the Little Rock Nine.  Gov. Faubus called off the Guard and violence broke out, Eisenhower ordered the 101^st Airborne Division paratroopers to Little Rock and put the Arkansas National Guard under federal command.  It’s a sight most of us will always remember, the sight of armed National Guardsmen surrounding Little Rock High School with their bayonets attached to their rifles.  Most of us know the ending to this, under Federal protection the “Little Rock Nine” finished out the school year.  The following year Gov. Faubus closed all the high schools forcing African Americans to attend school out of state.

     As for Louis Armstrong because of his statements the FBI kept a file on him, Herbert Hoover, head of the FBI ordered a phone tap on Armstrong’s phone until the day he died on July 6, 1971.  His death was front page news around the world, 25,000 mourners filed past his coffin as he lay in state at the New York National Guard Armory.

     So the question was: Do you think the song “What a Wonderful World” was a civil rights statement?  Well I don’t know, but I do know that when it came time to speak out, the “Satch” made his voice heard.

What a Wonderful World

Written by Bob Thiele and George Weiss

 

I see trees of green,

Red roses too.

I see them bloom,

For me and you.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world

 

I see skies of blue,

And clouds of white.

The bright blessed day,

The dark sacred night.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

 

The colors of the rainbow,

So pretty in the sky.

Are also on the faces,

Of people going by,

I see friends shaking hands.

Saying, “How do you do?”

They’re really saying,

“I love you.”

 

I hear babies cry,

I watch them grow,

They’ll learn much more.

Than I’ll ever know.

And I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.

 

Yes, I think to myself,

What a wonderful world.