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
Go to Mexico
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to be a pretty golden brown.
Smoke and rum is my mission
Happiness is all I need right now.
Gonna come a time
There's gonna come a time when
I can go to Mexico
I believe in the here and now
I believe in the here and now tomorrow's pain will melt away.
Get your hands on the trigger
I saw the latest story on TV
A blue bag flowed past my window
This helicopter's too damn close to me.
And there's
There's gonna come a time
There will come a time, we'll be just like Mexico
When I go there
When I go there, I'll be wearing purple ribbons when I go there
When I go there, I'll be dancing in the street when I go there
When I go there...
We can go to Mexico
The song "Go to Mexico" by Cassandra Wilson is a ballad that describes a desire to escape reality and find happiness. The opening lines tell us that the singer loves the sun in the distance and wants to become a pretty golden brown, which implies the idea of wanting to escape from their current reality and perhaps their own skin. Simultaneously, the smoke and rum is the mission, which shows the singer's willingness to engage in escapism by pursuing temporary pleasure. They're searching for happiness in the here and now, and they firmly believe that it will melt tomorrow's pain away.
The chorus speaks about the desire to go to Mexico, and it's not clear whether it's a metaphorical or a literal destination. The idea of seeking refuge in Mexico might mean finding peace in a place that's different from the singer's origin. The reference to the blue bag flying past their window and the helicopter being too close might suggest that the singer is trying to escape from danger or anxiety in their current environment. The verse "get your hands on the trigger" implies that there’s a sense of taking control of the situation and doing something instead of remaining passive.
The final verse of the song paints an image of what the singer would do when they finally make it to Mexico. They would wear purple ribbons and dance in the streets. This verse suggests that the singer, once they've reached their destination, will be happy or fulfilled. The song is a portrayal of how we all want to escape reality at times and how we search for happiness in different ways. For the singer, Mexico was like a destination of hope and a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
You love sun in the distance
You enjoy the warmth of the sun from afar
Trying to be a pretty golden brown.
Trying to achieve a tanned, bronze complexion
Smoke and rum is my mission
My goal is to indulge in smoking and drinking rum
Happiness is all I need right now.
At this moment, all I desire is to be content and joyful
Gonna come a time
There will be an occasion in the future
There's gonna come a time when
There will be a specific moment when
I can go to Mexico
I will have the opportunity to visit Mexico
I believe in the here and now
I have faith in the present moment
I believe in the here and now tomorrow's pain will melt away.
I trust that in the future, any discomfort will subside
Get your hands on the trigger
Take control of the situation
I saw the latest story on TV
I witnessed current events on television
A blue bag flowed past my window
I observed debris pass by outside my window
This helicopter's too damn close to me.
I feel that the helicopter is in uncomfortably close proximity to me
There will come a time, we'll be just like Mexico
At some point, we will resemble the characteristics of Mexico
When I go there, I'll be wearing purple ribbons when I go there
During my trip to Mexico, I will adorn myself with purple ribbons
When I go there, I'll be dancing in the street when I go there
While I am in Mexico, I will joyously dance in the street
We can go to Mexico
It is possible for us to travel to Mexico together
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ARTHUR LANON NEVILLE, CASSANDRA WILSON, GEORGE PORTER, JOSEPH MODELISTE, KEITH CIANCIA, LEO NOCENTELLI, MIKE ELIZONDO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tim Strasbourg
Ca Groove, c'est du son comme rarement on arrive a gérer! C'est bien régit honêtement!
Trevor Morris
I'm not at all familiar with Cassandra Wilson. Unfortunately, with a number of tracks produced like this I've no idea how much of this is her voice, and how much it is studio-enhanced. What, in fact, is she capable of?
thereisnoproblem
great great song ... greater voice!!! ... luv both - Cassandra > and da song! yay!
Steve Garwood
We all cried at the speech by The Presidente in 1997. Tears streaming ducts flowing. Apsubowlutely THE FUNNIEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!! THE BEST WORDS ARE "GO TO MEXICO!" It is the world's largest inside joke.
jonanjello
This morning I heard this song on KCSM. I thought it was a man singing! A very nice song!
Lee Scott이석기
This number is very good example for the audio calibration.
Steve Garwood
Is Cassandra the singer of my favorite song goes, "Dee Hum A Knee Who Ha"?
Tim Parker
Smoke and rum is my mission
Zen Atman
Yep... Still one of the OG mama Hoodoo goddesses