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
Never
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Egbé afon kpodo avi kpo
Do wézoun kan wè
Nou dé adoo bi vo dowé
Avi djin kpo
Totoé mantin
Nontowé kou bo yé han dowé
Egbé awa toun vivé éton
What you want
Is not always what you need
Looking everywhere
Except right in front of me
Inner peace
Or private war
Lose the key
Just when you find the door
'Cause you never know what you've got
Till it's gone
Mondji irorun kossi mon ééé
'Cause you never know what you've lost
Till it's found
Irorun, irorun, irorun egbamin o
Ado gandji ma djia zon
Gbé nou vivéé wé
Enin o wou o lin tamin kpon
Bo djo avi do
Gbè élo wè djo mon min
Min bi do nan sou
Do vivè min wè min bi
Kplon soussou dé
What you want
Is not always what you need
Looking everywhere
Except right in front of me
Inner peace
Or private war
Lose the key
Just when you find the door
'Cause you never know what you've got
Till it's gone
Mondji irorun kossi mon ééé
'Cause you never know what you've lost
Till it's found
Irorun, irorun, irorun egbamin o
The lyrics of Cassandra Wilson's song "Never" convey a message about the importance of appreciating what we have in the present moment. The song starts with a phrase in Ewe, a language spoken in Ghana and Togo, which translates to "We are born poor, but we carry grace." This sets the tone for the rest of the song as it explores the theme of understanding the true value of what we possess.
The verses talk about the contrast between what we want and what we actually need. Sometimes, we search for fulfillment and happiness in various places, constantly chasing after desires, and overlooking the things that are already in front of us. It suggests that inner peace and contentment can be elusive when we are focused on external distractions and conflicts. The line "Lose the key just when you find the door" reflects the idea that just as we start to understand and appreciate what we have, it can slip away from us.
The chorus repeats the idea that we often fail to recognize the worth of something until it is gone or found. The phrase "Mondji irorun kossi mon ééé" is a Yoruba expression meaning "You don't know what you have until it's gone." It emphasizes the importance of cherishing and being grateful for what we have in the present moment.
Overall, the lyrics of "Never" encourage us to be mindful, appreciate the simple things in life, and not take them for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Egbé afon kpodo avi kpo
The river flows continually
Do wézoun kan wè
But we refuse to see
Nou dé adoo bi vo dowé
We chase after illusions
Avi djin kpo
Blinded by desire
Totoé mantin
Lost in the darkness
Nontowé kou bo yé han dowé
Searching for what we already have
Egbé awa toun vivé éton
The truth is always present
Do gbé towé min
Yet we ignore it
What you want
Desires and wishes
Is not always what you need
May not fulfill the deepest longings
Looking everywhere
Searching far and wide
Except right in front of me
Overlooking the obvious
Inner peace
Contentment within the soul
Or private war
Internal struggles and conflicts
Lose the key
Misplacing the solution
Just when you find the door
Discovering the way out
'Cause you never know what you've got
We fail to appreciate
Till it's gone
Until it disappears
Mondji irorun kossi mon ééé
Only then we realize its value
'Cause you never know what you've lost
We are unaware of what we no longer have
Till it's found
Until it is rediscovered
Irorun, irorun, irorun egbamin o
Oh, the countless things I've overlooked
Ado gandji ma djia zon
Engrossed in meaningless pursuits
Gbé nou vivéé wé
Forgetting to truly live
Enin o wou o lin tamin kpon
Never appreciating the present moment
Bo djo avi do
Blinded by desires and aspirations
Gbè élo wè djo mon min
Failing to see what lies within
Min bi do nan sou
Looking for answers elsewhere
Do vivè min wè min bi
Ignoring the truth right in front of me
Kplon soussou dé
Lost in the chaos
'Cause you never know what you've got
We fail to appreciate
Till it's gone
Until it disappears
Mondji irorun kossi mon ééé
Only then we realize its value
'Cause you never know what you've lost
We are unaware of what we no longer have
Till it's found
Until it is rediscovered
Irorun, irorun, irorun egbamin o
Oh, the countless things I've overlooked
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBBIE NEVIL, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, JEAN LOUIS PIERRE HEBRAIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind