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
Forty Days And Forty Nights
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since my baby done left this town
Oh the sun shinin' all day long
But the rain it just keeps on comin' down
She's my life I need her so
Why she left I just don't know
Forty days and forty nights
It keeps on rainin' all the time
But the river is runnin' dry
Lord help me it just ain't right
I love that girl with all my might
Forty days and forty nights
Since my baby done broke my heart
I've been searchin' for her everywhere
Just like a blind man in the dark
Love can make a poor man rich
Or break his heart, I don't know which
Forty days and forty nights
Like a ship out on the stormy sea
I've been prayin' for her every night
That she would come back home to me
Life is love and love is light
I hope she comes back home tonight
The lyrics of Cassandra Wilson's "Forty Days and Forty Nights" depict the singer lamenting over the departure of their loved one, who had left town about forty days and forty nights ago. The song emphasizes the pain of being left behind by a loved one, as the lyrics repeatedly emphasize how it has been raining since, and everything feels wrong. The lyrics suggest that the singer is in deep distress and wants their loved one to come back, emphasizing that they cannot seem to find peace or happiness since the departure, and it just does not feel right. The song portrays the struggle of the singer to hold onto hope that their loved one would come back and make everything better, illustrating the power of love to enrich or devastate an individual's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Forty days and forty nights
It has been really long since my partner left me.
Since my baby done left this town
My partner has left me and didn't bother to say goodbye.
Oh the sun shinin' all day long
Even though it's sunny outside, there's no sunshine in my life since she left.
But the rain it just keeps on comin' down
It keeps on raining and I can't stop feeling sad.
She's my life I need her so
I depended on her for my happiness and can't live without her.
Why she left I just don't know
I have no idea why my partner left and it's driving me crazy.
Since I sat right down and cried
After realizing she left, I broke down and cried.
But the river is runnin' dry
Even though it's raining, I feel like I'm running out of tears to cry.
Lord help me it just ain't right
I'm pleading for help to cope because this situation is not okay.
I love that girl with all my might
I loved her with all my heart and still do.
Since my baby done broke my heart
My heart is shattered since she broke up with me.
I've been searchin' for her everywhere
I'm desperately searching for her to make things right.
Just like a blind man in the dark
I feel like I'm stumbling in the dark, unsure of what to do next.
Love can make a poor man rich
Love has the power to make a poor man feel rich in life.
Or break his heart, I don't know which
Love also has the power to tear a person's heart apart and I'm not sure which side it's on for me.
Like a ship out on the stormy sea
I feel like I'm stranded on a turbulent sea alone.
I've been prayin' for her every night
I've been asking for divine intervention to help bring her back.
That she would come back home to me
The only thing I want is for her to return and make things right between us.
Life is love and love is light
For me, life is all about love and happiness that brings light into my life.
I hope she comes back home tonight
My only hope is for her to come back home tonight and put an end to this misery.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BERNARD ROTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind