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
Shall We Dance?
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on, have your fling
Why keep nursing the blues?
If you want this old world on a string
Put on your dancing shoes
Stop wasting time
Put on your dancing shoes
Watch your spirits climb
Shall we dance, or keep on moping?
Shall we dance and walk on air?
Shall we give in to despair?
Or shall we dance with never a care?
Life is short, we're growing older
Don't you be an also-ran
You'd better dance, little lady
Dance, little man
Dance whenever you can
The lyrics to Cassandra Wilson's "Shall We Dance?" are a gentle encouragement to stop being gloomy and enjoy life. The singer urges the listener to put on their dancing shoes, forget their sorrows and catch the rhythm of the music. The song highlights the transient nature of life and how every moment should be celebrated while it lasts. Rather than giving in to despair, Wilson implores the listener to dance with abandon, as much as possible.
The song's lyrics encourage people to develop a positive perspective, to see life as an opportunity to be happy and do whatever we want. These are positive and uplifting lyrics that teach the listener to embrace the joy of living. The lyrics also showcase the healing quality of music, and how it has the potential to lift the spirits of the listener. The upbeat sound of the music also reinforces the positive message of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Drop that long face
Stop looking sad and downcast
Come on, have your fling
Let loose and enjoy yourself
Why keep nursing the blues?
Why dwell on negative thoughts and feelings?
If you want this old world on a string
If you want to feel like you have complete control over the world
Put on your dancing shoes
Get ready to dance and have fun
Stop wasting time
Quit procrastinating and start living life to the fullest
Watch your spirits climb
See your mood and energy improve
Shall we dance, or keep on moping?
Should we dance and be happy or continue to be depressed?
Shall we dance and walk on air?
Should we dance and feel elated?
Shall we give in to despair?
Should we succumb to hopelessness?
Or shall we dance with never a care?
Or should we dance without any worries?
Life is short, we're growing older
Life is brief and we are aging
Don't you be an also-ran
Don't be someone who follows the crowd without thinking for themselves
You'd better dance, little lady
It would be better for you to dance
Dance, little man
Dance with joy and enthusiasm, regardless of gender
Dance whenever you can
Take every opportunity to dance and enjoy life
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein Ii
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
reglagirl
Woke up this morning with this song on my mind, and after watching Yul and Deborah dance which was wonderful, btw, I was amazed at how few artists had recorded this.
I love this and Jody Sandhaus', and both were difficult to find for some reason.
I had forgotten what a fabulous musician and singer Cassandra is and I LOVE her note choices in her second pass through the melody here so most likely I'll be listening to this for DAYS as they say❤
Michael Hayes
I might actually learn to play music again just to play along with her recordings. That's called creating hope.
Willie Jordan
I love the arrangement of this tune and Cass sings it wonderfully.
reglagirl
She's a fantastic musician and has done interesting interviews.
working2hrd
Lovely song, She is fabulous !
Kimberly Murray
Improvisation is the greatest joy of jazz.
Raul Richards
So Cool and Sweet.♫♪♫ Music for The Heart & Soul. ♥
Alberta Alexandre
You give me hope that I can still dance
Petlito
On a bright cloud of music ... Nice.
KlukvaNju5555
ache voice.. await in Lviv from love