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
Hellhound on My Trail
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gotta keep movin'
Hellhound on my trail
Hellhound on my trail
If today was Christmas day
If today was Christmas day
And tomorrow was Christmas Eve
I gotta keep on movin'
Gotta keep on movin'
That hellhound is on my trail
Hellhound on my trail
The song Hellhound on My Trail by Cassandra Wilson is a cover of the original song by legendary blues musician Robert Johnson. The song describes the feeling of being pursued relentlessly by a "hellhound," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for a variety of things, such as personal demons, fate, or the law. The urgency of the situation is emphasized by the repetition of the line "gotta keep movin'," conveying the sense that stopping or slowing down would be catastrophic.
The second verse sets up a contrast between the desperate situation described in the first verse and the idea of a joyous occasion like Christmas. However, even in this hypothetical scenario, the "hellhound" is still present and the singer would still need to keep moving. This powerful imagery captures the sense of being haunted by something that can't be escaped, no matter the circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta keep movin'
I need to keep moving quickly and constantly.
Hellhound on my trail
I feel constantly pursued or haunted by something threatening, like a vicious dog.
If today was Christmas day
If it were a special, joyous day.
And tomorrow was Christmas Eve
If the excitement and anticipation of that day were almost tangible.
Lord, wouldn't we have a time, boys
Everyone would be celebrating and having a great time together.
I gotta keep on movin'
I must continue to move quickly and constantly, as my situation is urgent.
That hellhound is on my trail
I am relentlessly pursued or haunted by something threatening, like a vicious dog.
Writer(s): Robert Leroy Johnson (protecte D Shares)
Contributed by Camden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.