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
Dust My Broom
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm a get up in the mornin'
I believe I'll dust my broom
I quit the best girl I'm lovin'
Now my friends can get in my room
I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know
If I don't find her in ? (Matilda or West Hills, Lord) ?
She be in East Monroe I know
And I don't want no woman
Want every downtown man she meets
No I don't want no woman
Want every downtown man she meets
Man, she's a no good doney
They shouldn't allow her on the street, yeah
I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I ain't gonna leave my baby
And break up my happy home
Cassandra Wilson's song, Dust My Broom, is a cover of Robert Johnson's original song from 1936, known for its incredible guitar riff and blues lyrics. The song starts with the singer waking up in the morning with the intention of dusting her broom, which is a southern phrase that means to leave someone or move on. The singer mentions that she had quit the best girl she was loving, and now her friends can come into her room because there's nobody else to share it with. This lyric suggests that the singer is now single and open to new relationships.
The second verse involves the singer trying to find her lost love, whom she's going to write letters to and call different towns in search of. She mentions Matilda and West Hills as some possible towns to check. Despite the effort, the singer acknowledges that her lover may have moved on and is currently in East Monroe, a town that she knows quite well.
The last verse reflects the singer's intention not to be with a woman who meets every man downtown. She describes this woman as a no-good and shouldn't even be allowed on the street. The singer believes that her time is short and that she's not going to leave her baby, which shows her commitment to her lover and her family. Overall, the song is about leaving behind a past love, giving oneself permission to move on, and searching for a new one.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a get up in the mornin'
I plan to awaken early
I believe I'll dust my broom
I plan to leave town and move on
I'm a get up in the mornin'
I plan to awaken early
I believe I'll dust my broom
I plan to leave town and move on
I quit the best girl I'm lovin'
I ended a relationship with a special someone
Now my friends can get in my room
My room is now open for friends to enter
I'm gonna write a letter, telephone every town I know
I plan to send messages far and wide in search of someone
If I don't find her in ? (Matilda or West Hills, Lord) ?
If I don't locate her in either Matilda or West Hills
She be in East Monroe I know
She must be in East Monroe
And I don't want no woman
I have no desire for a woman
Want every downtown man she meets
Finding interest in every man on the street
No I don't want no woman
I have no desire for a woman
Want every downtown man she meets
Finding interest in every man on the street
Man, she's a no good doney
She's a bad seed and not worth anyone's time
They shouldn't allow her on the street, yeah
She's so bad she shouldn't even be allowed outside
I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I sense that my time left on this earth is short
I believe, I believe my time ain't long
I sense that my time left on this earth is short
I ain't gonna leave my baby
I won't abandon my significant other
And break up my happy home
And destroy the happiness and stability in my home
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Royalty Network, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Elmore, Robert Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sofia Noiti _ Σοφία Νοητή
Dust my broom (Cassandra version lyrics)
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
Boyfriend, that girl that he can love her
She can have my room
I'm gonna write me a letter,
I'm gonna telephone every town I know
I'm gonna write me a letter
I'm gonna telephone every town I know
Well if he ain’t in West Hills (?)
He would be in East Monroe
I don’t want no man who wants
Every downtown girl that he sees
I do not want no man who wants
Every downtown girl that he sees
He is a no good donkey
They shouldn’t allow him on the streets
I believe, I believe, I’ve got to go back home
I believe, I believe, I’ve got to go back home
You can mistreat me in New York City
But you can’t mistreat me when I go home
[Solo slide-guitar]
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
Boyfriend, that girl that he can love her
She can have my room, she can have my room
I'm gonna call over to China
To see if my good man is over there
Said I'm gonna call over to China
To see if my good man is over there
Well if he ain't at the pina pinanas…(?)
He must be in Ethiopia somewhere
Ah, somewhere
I believe he is in Ethiopia
Somewhere
Somewhere
Reg Bowie GoldenTropolis
Just love it
BjavaBbotBme
Awesome version;! Thanks;)
Sofia Noiti _ Σοφία Νοητή
Dust my broom (Cassandra version lyrics)
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
Boyfriend, that girl that he can love her
She can have my room
I'm gonna write me a letter,
I'm gonna telephone every town I know
I'm gonna write me a letter
I'm gonna telephone every town I know
Well if he ain’t in West Hills (?)
He would be in East Monroe
I don’t want no man who wants
Every downtown girl that he sees
I do not want no man who wants
Every downtown girl that he sees
He is a no good donkey
They shouldn’t allow him on the streets
I believe, I believe, I’ve got to go back home
I believe, I believe, I’ve got to go back home
You can mistreat me in New York City
But you can’t mistreat me when I go home
[Solo slide-guitar]
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
I'm getting up sun in the morning
I believe I'll dust my broom
Boyfriend, that girl that he can love her
She can have my room, she can have my room
I'm gonna call over to China
To see if my good man is over there
Said I'm gonna call over to China
To see if my good man is over there
Well if he ain't at the pina pinanas…(?)
He must be in Ethiopia somewhere
Ah, somewhere
I believe he is in Ethiopia
Somewhere
Somewhere
Eddie Soye
you might have got these suggestions I think she sings soon where you hear sun and for West Hills I hear West Helena and finally for pina pinanas I hear Phillipine Islands
LeslyeJoyAllen - JazzMaestra
Cassandra does it again--leaving her imprint on yet another Blues classic!
Alvin Walker Sr
Monster rendition!
Kathleen Carter Steeves
amazing
Carl Schwamberger
Mr Sewell makes some tough guitar look easy
plandver
fantastic venga venga!! otra!!
Michael Hayes
Nice. Thanks.