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
Right Here Right Now
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did you ever need somebody, just to rub your hair
All the energy we spend on motion, all the circuitry and time
Is there any way to feel a body through fiber optic lines?
Everybody's going through the motions
Got their heads up or down
No one seems to want to see the other person's eyes
Reflect the world go ‘round
Get away from themselves
I got a feeling if they found that someplace
They'll want to go some place else.
Do we really want to go to Mars?
Do we ever really want to try?
I got a funny feeling if we get up there
We're gonna stop and wonder why
Don't you want to be right here, right now?
In Cassandra Wilson's song Right Here Right Now, the lyrics invite the listener to examine their own relationship with love, intimacy, and the societal tendency to seek escape. The opening lines of the song are a series of questions that are both personal and universal, asking "Did you ever love somebody? Did you ever really care?" These questions invite the listener to take stock of their experiences with love and relationships, and to ask themselves if they have ever truly needed someone else to comfort them.
The song then delves into the societal pressure to constantly be in motion, both physically and emotionally, and the toll that can take on our ability to connect with others. Wilson asks if there is any way to truly connect with someone else "through fiber optic lines," speaking to the growing trend of social media and online communication taking the place of in-person relationships.
The chorus of the song serves as a call to action, urging the listener to be present and engage with the world around them. Wilson asks, "Don't you want to be right here, right now?" Inviting the listener to consider the benefits of being fully present in their lives and in their relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you ever love somebody? Did you ever really care?
Have you ever experienced true love and care for someone?
Did you ever need somebody, just to rub your hair
Have you ever felt the need for someone to comfort you?
All the energy we spend on motion, all the circuitry and time
We put so much effort and time into our technology and busy lives.
Is there any way to feel a body through fiber optic lines?
Can we truly connect with someone through technology?
Everybody's going through the motions
People are just going through the same routines and not really living.
Got their heads up or down
People keep their heads down or up and are not looking at each other
No one seems to want to see the other person's eyes
People do not seem to be willing to connect with others on a deep level.
Reflect the world go ‘round
People reflect the world and give it meaning by interacting with others.
Everybody seems to want to get away to someplace
Everyone seems to want to escape their current lives.
Get away from themselves
People want to escape their own thoughts and emotions.
I got a feeling if they found that someplace
If people found a place to escape, they would not be satisfied for long.
They'll want to go some place else.
People will always have an urge to keep searching for something beyond themselves.
Do we really want to go to Mars?
Do we truly want to pursue grand, long-term goals like going to Mars?
Do we ever really want to try?
Are we committed enough to actually attempt these grand goals?
I got a funny feeling if we get up there
There is a sense of uncertainty about what will happen if we achieve our goals.
We're gonna stop and wonder why
We will question the purpose of all our efforts and what they really mean in the grand scheme of things.
Don't you want to be right here, right now?
Isn't it important to be present in and enjoy the current moment, rather than always searching for something beyond?
Contributed by Isabella L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.