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 Wished On The Moon
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one ever listened to me, no one wondered did I care
None in all the world to love me, none to count that stars that hung
Then the moon came out above me and I saw that it was young
I wished on the moon for something I never knew
Wished on the moon for more than I ever knew
A sweeter rose, a softer sky
I begged of a star to throw me a beam or two
Wished on a star and asked for a dream or two
I looked for ev'ry loveliness, it all came true
I wished on the moon for you
In "I Wished On The Moon", Cassandra Wilson tells the story of someone who feels lonely, unloved, and unheard. The nights are long and dark, and shadows fill the air. Nobody seems to care about her, nobody listens to what she has to say. She has nobody to love her or count the stars with her. However, one day, as she gazes at the moon, she realizes that it is still young and beautiful. And so, she makes a wish upon it. She wishes for something she never knew, for more than she ever knew. She wishes for a sweeter rose, a softer sky, an April day that would not dance away. She begs a star to throw her a beam or two, and asks for a dream or two. She looks for every loveliness, and amazingly, it all comes true. She finally finds what she has been searching for: someone to love.
The song is all about hope, and the power of wishing for something that seems impossible. The moon represents the dream, and the star represents the possibility of making that dream come true. It's a song that reminds us that no matter how bleak our situation may seem, there is always hope for something better. We should never stop dreaming, and we should always keep wishing upon the moon.
Line by Line Meaning
Every night was long and gloomy, shadows gathered in the air
The nights were always depressing and dark, filled with shadows that seemed to surround me.
No one ever listened to me, no one wondered did I care
Nobody ever paid attention to my feelings, and nobody seemed to care about my well-being.
None in all the world to love me, none to count that stars that hung
I felt like nobody in the world loved me and nobody appreciated the beauty of the stars in the sky.
Then the moon came out above me and I saw that it was young
Suddenly, the moon appeared above me and it looked young and fresh.
I wished on the moon for something I never knew
I made a wish upon the moon for something that I didn't even know existed.
Wished on the moon for more than I ever knew
My wish upon the moon was for something greater than anything I had ever experienced before.
A sweeter rose, a softer sky
I wished for more beauty in the world, for things like sweeter smelling roses and a softer, more peaceful sky.
An April day that would not dance away
I wanted a perfect day in the month of April that would last forever, never fading away.
I begged of a star to throw me a beam or two
I begged a star to send me some light or guidance in my life.
Wished on a star and asked for a dream or two
I wished upon a star, asking for a couple of dreams to come true.
I looked for ev'ry loveliness, it all came true
I searched for every bit of beauty and it seemed to come true, as if everything I ever wanted was happening all at once.
I wished on the moon for you
Ultimately, my wish upon the moon was for you, the person I love and hope to find one day.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Dorothy Parker, Ralph Rainger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind