What good is sittin' alone in your room
Come hear the music play, yes
Life is a cabaret old chum
Come to the cabaret

Put down that knittin', the book and the broom
Time for a holiday, yes
Life is a cabaret old chum
So come to the cabaret

Come taste the wine, come hear that band
Yes, it's time for celebratin'
Right this way, your table's waitin'

No use permittin' a prophet of doom
Wipe every smile away, yes
Life is a cabaret old chum
So come to the cabaret, yes

Yes, life is a cabaret old chum
Only a cabaret old chum
So come to the cabaret

Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong, known throughout his lengthy career by nicknames like “Satchmo”, “Pops” and simply “Louie”, was a trumpeter, composer, singer and occasional actor, as well as one of the most influential figures in the history of jazz.

Born and raised in New Orleans, where jazz itself is alleged to have began, Armstrong started his career in 1918, playing the cornet in brass bands and riverboats along the Mississippi River. There, he caught the attention of his future mentor, King Oliver, joining his band in Chicago, where he networked with other popular jazz musicians like Hoagy Carmichael and his first wife Lil Hardin Armstrong.

In 1924, Louie relocated to New York City playing for the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra. It was at this time he switched over from cornet to trumpet in order to blend in better with the other musicians in his section. It was also when he developed his emotional playing style, which included singing and telling tales of his life back in New Orleans.