Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight

Louis Armstrong · Other Songs - Louis Armstrong

Come along, get ready, wear your grand brand-new gown,

For there's going to be a meeting in this good good old town.

When you know everybody and they all know you,

And you get a rabbit's foot to keep away them hoodoos.



When you hear the preachin' has begin,

Bend down low for to drive away your sin;

When you get religion you'll wanna shout and sing,

There'll be a hot time in old town tonight!



My baby, when you hear them bells go dingaling,

All turn around and sweetly you must sing.

When the birds dance too, and the poets will all join in,

There'll be a hot time in old town tonight!



There'll be girls for everybody in this good good old town,

There's Miss Gonzola Davis and Miss Gondoola Brown,

There's Miss Henrietta Caesar, and she's all dressed in red;

I just hug and kiss her, and to me then she said;



"Please, oh please, oh do not let me fall,

You are mine and I love you best of all!

You be my man, I'll have no man at all,

There'll be a hot time in old town tonight!"



My baby, when you hear them bells go dingaling,

All join around and sweetly you must sing.

When the birds dance too, and the poets will all join in,

There'll be a hot time in old town tonight!

Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight

Louis Armstrong's 1954 recording of Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight stands as a definitive example of his mastery of the swing era. The track showcases Armstrong's virtuosic trumpet playing and his signature vocal style, blending scat singing with melodic phrasing that defined the jazz standard. Originally recorded in New Orleans, the song captures the lively atmosphere of the city's nightlife, a theme Armstrong often explored in his performances. This recording highlights his ability to improvise with both instruments, setting a benchmark for vocal jazz and trumpet solos that influenced countless musicians. It remains a staple in the repertoire of jazz enthusiasts and a testament to Armstrong's enduring legacy as a pioneer of modern jazz.