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
You Go to My Head
Cassandra Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
Like the kicker in a julep or two
That you might give a thought to my plea
Casts a spell over me
Still I say to myself "Get a hold of yourself"
Can′t you see that it never can be
You go to my head
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Hasn′t a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head
In Cassandra Wilson's song "You Go to My Head," the singer is expressing their infatuation with someone who has made a profound impact on them. The person is occupying their thoughts, making them feel intoxicated and making their temperature rise. They describe this person as being similar to a haunting melody or sparkling alcohol that lingers in the mind. Despite the singer's recognition that their feelings for this person are likely to end in disappointment, they still feel a strong connection to them that they can't seem to shake.
The song captures the feeling of infatuation and the irrationality that goes along with it. The singer understands that their feelings aren't necessarily reciprocated by the person they're thinking of, but they can't help being entranced by them. The lyrics also allude to the fact that the singer is aware of the potential danger of their feelings but is too in love to care.
Overall, the song serves as a poignant exploration of the emotional complexity that comes with loving someone who may not feel the same way. It combines rich imagery and metaphor to create a vivid portrayal of the singer's emotions and is a testament to Cassandra Wilson's skill as a songwriter.
Line by Line Meaning
You go to my head
You occupy my thoughts and emotions constantly, like an invasive presence in my mind.
And you linger like a haunting refrain
Your memory is persistent and inescapable like a melody that one can't shake off.
And I find you spinning round in my brain
My mind is stuck on you and I can't seem to shake the thoughts of you that keep going round and round.
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
Your presence is effervescent and intoxicating like champagne, it fills me up and makes me feel alive.
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
The effect of you on me is like a delicious and delightful drink that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
And I find the very mention of you
Even the slightest reminder or reference to you is enough to bring you flooding back into my thoughts and feelings.
Like the kicker in a julep or two
Your presence in my mind is strong and potent like the addition of mint in a refreshing drink, giving it an extra kick.
The thrill of the thought
The excitement and anticipation that comes with the mere thought of you,
That you might give a thought to my plea
The possibility that you might consider and respond positively to my request or appeal,
Casts a spell over me
Hypnotizes and entrances me, making me feel powerless to resist.
Still I say to myself "Get a hold of yourself"
Even though I am aware of the irrationality of my feelings, I try to regain control over them and my actions.
Can′t you see that it never can be
I know that a romantic relationship with you can never happen, and I struggle to accept this fact.
With a smile that makes my temperature rise
Your smile has a magnetic and arousing effect on me, making me feel feverish and flushed.
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
Being around you feels like the height of summer, hot and intense, with a thousand months packed into one.
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Your gaze has the ability to make me feel drunk and giddy with desire, affecting me deep within my being.
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Despite my knowledge and acceptance of the unlikelihood of our romantic union,
Hasn′t a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
My heart still longs for the impossible, driven by this overpowering and irrational passion.
You go to my head
In the end, it is clear that you have a profound and all-consuming impact on me. You are always on my mind and in my heart.
You go to my head
The repetition of this line further emphasizes the extent to which you affect me, cementing your place in my thoughts and emotions.
Writer(s): Haven Gillespie, J. Fred Coots
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lady Stardust
You go to my head
And you linger like a haunting refrain
And I find you spinning round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head
Like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
Like the kicker in a julep or two
The thrill of the thought
That you might give a thought
To my plea, casts a spell over me
Still I say to myself
Get ahold of yourself
Can't you see that it never can be
You go to my head with a smile
That makes my temperature rise
Like a summer in a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Hasn't a ghost of a chance
In this crazy romance
You go to my head, you go to my head
l kofie
Just beautiful....I'd heard this song on a jazz radio station in my town just yesterday (Friday) and I just HAD to make sure I wrote the song and artist down so that I can search YouTube....and well...here she is :-)
E M
I just heard it on WRTI from Philly while I was soaking in the tub and had to listen for the artist!
timestartsnow
This is beautiful. I like the arrangements on this.
John LaStrada
Cassandra Wilson -- modern day's equivalent to Billie Holiday. Cassandra remains her own woman, her own voice and following a path that few female vocalists can tread. Billie's gone now, but listening to Cassandra is so perfectly suited to continuing in her tradition. No imitation, all original and creative. It's something I believe an elderly Billie Holiday would have approved of had she lived to hear Cassandra. This is so good, but then...Cassandra always is.
Timmy Collins
Love it .
Aston Margolis-Dias
this should be the next james bond theme - who agrees with me?
The Apex
My exact thoughts when this song first started!
Henry Horovitz
Absolutely!
h20
A most appropriate question for someone whose first name is Aston
Timmy Collins
You are so perfectly ridiculous beautiful right .