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
Dancing In Dream Time
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One mind, one soul
From the beginning
constantly flowing into creation
Suns grow, moons die
World without ending
Alive with the spirit of the sun
Cycles and season abide
By the sprit of the sun
All of god's creatures
Alive with spirit of the sun
Cycles and seasons abide
By the spirit of the sun
The lyrics to Cassandra Wilson's song "Dancing in Dream Time" speak to a sense of transcendence and unity that underlies all of creation. Wilson's opening line speaks of living forever, an idea that is not necessarily tied to any individual life or physical form, but seems to refer to something more fundamental and eternal. "One mind, one soul/From the beginning" further underscores this notion of oneness and unity, suggesting that even as individuals, we are all part of a larger whole that has existed since the beginning of time.
The following lines of the song speak to the idea of cyclical change and the perpetual flow of creation. "constantly flowing into creation/Suns grow, moons die/World without ending" suggest a sense of renewal and regeneration that transcends any individual life or event. In this sense, the song's focus is not just on individual human experience, but on the underlying patterns and rhythms that connect all of creation.
Finally, the song speaks to the idea of the sacredness of all life and the natural world. "All of god's creatures/Alive with the spirit of the sun/Cycles and season abide/By the sprit of the sun" speaks to a sense of divine presence that animates not just human life, but all of the natural world. In this way, "Dancing in Dream Time" suggests that the sense of unity and transcendence that it describes is not just a human experience, but something that is fundamental to all of creation.
Line by Line Meaning
Dancing in dream time, we live forever
We dance in a state of imagination, where time is irrelevant and our existence is infinite.
One mind, one soul
We are connected as one entity, sharing the same consciousness and essence.
From the beginning constantly flowing into creation
Our journey began long ago, and we continue to evolve and bring forth new creations.
Suns grow, moons die
Everything in this world has a cycle of beginning and end, including celestial bodies.
World without ending
The world is ever-expanding, without limits or boundaries.
All of god's creatures
Every living being is a creation of the divine.
Alive with the spirit of the sun
We are all infused with the energy and vitality of the sun.
Cycles and seasons abide by the spirit of the sun
The natural cycles and seasons of life are governed by the influence of the sun.
All of god's creatures
Every living being is a creation of the divine.
Alive with spirit of the sun
The essence of the sun is present within every living creature.
Cycles and seasons abide by the spirit of the sun
The ebb and flow of life is guided by the energy and power of the sun.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind