Wilson's repertoire includes both jazz and blues standards and renditions of pop and rock songs. Her contralto voice has been described as bluesy and sultry, and the style of her music ranges from swing to funk to bossa nova. Many of the songs she covers are by artists who usually record in other genres.
Wilson counts the late Miles Davis as one of her greatest influences. In 1989 she performed as the opening act for Davis at the JVC Jazz Festival in Chicago. In 1999 she produced Traveling Miles as a tribute to Davis. The album developed from a series of jazz concerts that she performed at Lincoln Center in November 1997 in Davis's honor and includes three selections based on Davis's own compositions, in which Wilson adapted the original themes.
A Brief Discography
Point of View (1986, JMT)
Days Aweigh (1987, JMT)
Blue Skies (1988, JMT)
Jumpworld (1989, JMT)
She Who Weeps (1990, JMT)
Live (1991, JMT)
After the Beginning Again (1992, JMT)
Dance to the Drums Again (1992, DIW/Columbia)
Blue Light 'til Dawn (1993, Blue Note)
New Moon Daughter (1995, Blue Note)
Rendezvous (with Jacky Terrasson) (1998, Blue Note)
Traveling Miles (1999, Blue Note)
Belly of the Sun (2002, Blue Note)
Glamoured (2003, Blue Note)
Thunderbird (2006, Blue Note)
Loverly (2008, Blue Note)
Silver Pony (2010, Blue Note)
Another Country (2012, eOne)
Official website: www.cassandrawilson.com
Body And Soul
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul
I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it
I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
In Cassandra Wilson's rendition of the classic jazz standard "Body and Soul," the lyrics express deep longing and unrequited love. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer confessing that her "heart is sad and lonely," and that she "sighs" only for her beloved. She wonders why her object of affection has not recognized her feelings. There is a sense of desperation in her voice as she declares that she is "all for you body and soul," revealing her willingness to give herself completely to this person.
In the middle section of the song, the singer laments her days of "longing" and her confusion as to why the person she loves is "wronging" her. She muses that she cannot believe that he would turn away from romance, and she questions whether he is pretending or whether this is truly the end of their relationship. The final lines of the song reinforce her pledge to give herself fully to him, stating that she would surrender herself completely "body and soul" to this man, even though he is making her life into a "wreck."
Line by Line Meaning
My heart is sad and lonely
I'm feeling extremely unhappy and alone
For you I sigh, for you dear only
I long for only you and let out heavy breaths just thinking about you
Why haven't you seen it
Why haven't you noticed what I'm feeling for you?
I'm all for you body and soul
I'm completely devoted to you and give my heart and my whole self to you
I spend my days in longing
All I do is daydream about being with you
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
Why are you causing me pain and treating me unfairly?
I tell you I mean it
I'm being sincere and honest with you when I say that I'm all yours
I can't believe it
I'm having a hard time accepting what's happening
It's hard to conceive it
It's difficult for me to understand or believe that you're rejecting me
That you'd turn away romance
I can't believe that you're rejecting my romantic feelings
Are you pretending
Are you just pretending and not being truthful?
It looks like the ending
It seems like this is the end and there's no hope for us being together
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear
Unless I have the opportunity to show you how I truly feel once more
My life a wreck you're making
You're causing my life to become miserable and chaotic
You know I'm yours for just the taking
You know that I'll give myself to you without hesitation
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul
I'm willing to give myself to you completely, both physically and emotionally
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL MICHAEL BARRY, PHIL SIMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind