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
I'm Old Fashioned
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About the latest fads
I admit I was never one
Adored by local lads
Not that I ever try to be a saint
I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I'm old fashioned
I love the moonlight
The sound of rain
Upon a window pane
The starry song that April sings
This year's fancies
Are passing fancies
But sighing sighs holding hands
These my heart understands
I know I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me
I'm old fashioned
But I don't mind it
That's how I want to be
As long as you agree
To stay old fashioned with me
Oh won't you stay old fashioned with me
Oh please stay old fashioned with me
In the song, "I'm Old Fashioned," Cassandra Wilson sings about her love for old-fashioned things and her realization that she doesn't fit in with the latest trends and fads. She says that she's not the type to be adored by the local boys, but she doesn't try to be a saint either. While others are busy chasing after the latest and greatest things, she finds comfort in the simple pleasures of life, such as the sound of rain on a window pane, the moonlight, and the starry song that April sings. She believes that this year's fancies are just passing fancies, and what really matters are the meaningful moments shared between two people as they hold hands and sigh.
The song is a celebration of being true to oneself and not being swayed by the fleeting trends of society. It's a call to embrace the things that bring joy and comfort, rather than trying to fit into a mold that doesn't feel authentic or fulfilling. When she asks her lover to stay old fashioned with her, she's asking for a commitment to cherish and appreciate the things that truly matter, rather than constantly chasing after the next big thing.
Overall, "I'm Old Fashioned" is a beautiful ode to a simpler, more meaningful way of life, and a reminder that sometimes the best things in life are the things that never go out of style.
Line by Line Meaning
I am not such a clever one
I am not an intelligent person
About the latest fads
I do not know much about the current trends
I admit I was never one
I confess that I was never
Adored by local lads
Loved by the people around me
Not that I ever try to be a saint
I do not try to act like a perfect person
I'm the type that they classify as quaint
I am what they consider old-fashioned
I love the moonlight
I love the light of the moon
I love the old fashioned things
I love the traditional things of the past
The sound of rain
The noise made by the raindrops
Upon a window pane
As the drops fall on a window
The starry song that April sings
The beautiful music played by nature in spring
This year's fancies
The temporary fascinations of the present year
Are passing fancies
They will not last long
But sighing sighs holding hands
The joy of holding hands and being romantic
These my heart understands
My heart knows the importance of these moments
I know I'm old fashioned
I am aware that I am traditional in my ways
But I don't mind it
I am comfortable being who I am
That's how I want to be
I choose to be old-fashioned
As long as you agree
If you agree with me
To stay old fashioned with me
To be traditional with me
Oh won't you stay old fashioned with me
Will you please be traditional with me?
Oh please stay old fashioned with me
Please be traditional with me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind