Eva Cassidy was the third of four children born to Hugh and Barbara Cassidy. From an early age, she displayed artistic and musical talent. When she was nine years old, her father taught her to play the guitar, and she began to play and sing at family gatherings.
While a student at Bowie High School, she did sing with a local band, called Stonehenge, and received considerable praise.
At the age of eighteen, Cassidy began her professional career, singing and playing guitar in a Washington, D.C., area band, called Easy Street. This band performed in a variety of styles, at weddings, corporate parties, and pubs.
During the summer of 1983, Cassidy sang and played guitar, six days per week, at Wild World, in Maryland. Her brother Dan was also a member of this working band.
Throughout the 1980s, Cassidy worked with a number of other bands, including the soul and Motown-oriented band The Honeybees, and the techno-pop band Characters Without Names, later called Method Actor.
During this period, Cassidy also worked as a propagator at a plant nursery and as a furniture painter in Annapolis, Maryland. In 1986, she met (bassist and recording engineer) Chris Biondo, who encouraged her and helped her find work as a backup singer for various acts. In 1990, Biondo and Cassidy hired the so-called "Eva Cassidy Band", composed of Chris Biondo, Lenny Williams, Keith Grimes and Raice McLeod, and she began to perform frequently in the Washington area.
In 1992, Biondo played a tape of Cassidy's voice for Chuck Brown. Best known as the "Godfather of Go-go", Brown is also a jazz and blues vocalist. This led to the first commercial recording of Cassidy, the duet album with Chuck Brown, The Other Side; which featured performances of classic songs such as "Fever", Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" and Cassidy's signature tune "Over the Rainbow". The album was released and distributed by Liaison Records, the label that also released Brown's Go-go albums. The duet CD attracted the attention of various record companies, but the offers all required Cassidy to pigeonhole herself within a single style (e.g., pop or jazz), something she adamantly refused to do.[citation needed]
In 1993 Eva Cassidy was first honored by the Washington area music community when she was awarded two Wammie awards for "Female Vocalist Roots/Traditional R&B" and "Vocalist Jazz/Traditional." The next year she was chosen to perform for the awards ceremony.
In January 1996, Cassidy recorded the album Live at Blues Alley, about which The Washington Post later commented that "she could sing anything and make it sound like the only music that mattered". [1] Cassidy was unhappy with her singing on the album, because she had a bad cold on the night of the recording; she began recording a studio album which was eventually released as Eva by Heart posthumously in 1997.
During a promotional event for the Live at Blues Alley CD in July 1996, Cassidy noticed an ache in her hips, which she attributed to stiffness from painting murals. The pain persisted, and, a few weeks later, Cassidy was diagnosed with melanoma. By the time of her diagnosis, the cancer had spread throughout her body. Cassidy's health rapidly deteriorated, and her final performance was in September 1996. At the performance, she had used a walker to reach the stage, sang "What a Wonderful World" in front of an audience of friends, and was subsequently admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital.[citation needed]
Eva Cassidy died on November 2, 1996, at the age of 33. She was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Washington Area Music Association.
Blue Skies
Eva Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singing a song
Nothing but blue skies from now on
I never saw the sun shining so bright
When you're in love everything's right
Watching all the days hurrying by
When you're in love my how they fly
Those blue days all of them gone
Nothing but blue sky from now on
Blue sky smiling on me
Nothing but blue sky do I see
Bluebirds singing a song
Nothing but blue sky from now on
I never saw the sun shining so bright
When you're in love everything's right
Watching all the days hurrying by
When you're in love my how they fly
Those blue days all of them gone
Nothing but blue sky
Nothing but blue sky
Nothing but blue sky from now on
The song "Blue Skies" by Eva Cassidy is a joyful, uplifting track about finding happiness in love. The lyrics describe the feeling of being in love and how it brings a newfound sense of happiness to the singer's life. The blue skies and bluebirds in the lyrics represent a new beginning and a fresh start, symbolizing the feeling of being unburdened and carefree.
The first line, "Blue skies smiling on me," sets the tone for the entire track. It's as if the singer is basking in the warmth of the sun, enjoying the moment as it comes to her. She goes on to describe how nothing but blue skies do she see, showing that her world has been transformed by the love she has found. The bluebirds singing a song represent the joy and energy that comes with falling in love. Everything is new and exciting, and the singer is swept up in the energy of it all.
The second verse focuses on the passage of time and how quickly it seems to go when you're in love. The days rush past, and the singer is caught up in the whirlwind of emotions that come with falling in love. The chorus repeats, driving home the idea that nothing but blue skies are ahead now that she has found love.
Overall, "Blue Skies" is a feel-good song that celebrates the power of love to transform our lives. Eva Cassidy's beautiful voice and heartfelt delivery make the lyrics all the more powerful and moving.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue skies smiling on me
I am happy and content, with clear and beautiful skies above me.
Nothing but blue skies do I see
All I see is the beauty around me, with no signs of clouds or obstacles in my way.
Bluebirds singing a song
Even the birds are rejoicing with me, their chirping filling me with more joy.
Nothing but blue skies from now on
I am committed to staying in this happy state of mind, free from any worries or sadness.
I never saw the sun shining so bright
This feeling of happiness is so intense, it's as if the sun itself is shining brighter.
When you're in love everything's right
Being in love changes everything, making even the darkest days seem brighter and the struggles easier to bear.
Watching all the days hurrying by
Time is passing quickly, but I am enjoying every moment of it.
When you're in love my how they fly
Being in love makes time seem to pass even faster, as each day is filled with joy and excitement.
Those blue days all of them gone
Any sadness or despair I may have felt in the past is gone, replaced only by the beauty and joy of the present.
Nothing but blue sky from now on
I refuse to let anything bring me down, focusing only on the happiness and positivity around me.
Nothing but blue sky do I see
My outlook on life is positive, with no room for negativity or pessimism.
Nothing but blue sky
My happiness and joy is all-encompassing, with nothing else taking up space in my mind or heart.
Nothing but blue sky
I am free to enjoy the beauty and wonder of life, unencumbered by any darkness or negativity.
Nothing but blue sky from now on
I am committed to living a life full of happiness, positivity, and beauty from this moment forward.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@g.neault791
Blue skies smiling on me
Nothing but blue skies do I see
Blue birds singing a song
Nothing but blue skies from now on.
I never saw the sun shining so bright
When you're in love everythings right
Watching all the days hurrying by
When you're in love my how they fly
Those blue days all of them gone
And nothing but blue sky from now on
@Singyourstyle
Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do i see
Blue birds singing a song
Nothing but blue skies from now on
Never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my how they fly
Blue days, all of them gone
Nothing but blue skies from now on
Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do i see
Bluebirds singing a song
Nothing but blue skies from now on
@leosag816
Amazing, beautiful Eva. So sad that she left us so early
@horseyhorselips3501
WoW what a Voice. RIP Eva Cassidy
Thank You for Your Show ❤️
@cindywelch2108
Stunning. Her band rocks as well. Best version of Blue Skies ever
@priyanganugegodagepriyanga5950
2021 Spring blue skies are here Eva. Remembering you 🌹
@redheadededjedi9519
Her voice is absolutely amazing! Beautiful. Great song too, full of energy. Love you Eva!
@colinhunter5160
Absolutely timeless
@roberttruesdell3564
Eva should be in the Hall of Fame where she is the ONLY member. She's in a class all by herself. Eva Cassidy, I was not aware of you when you were alive... and I will regret that for the rest of my life.
@DN-lo9hx
She died the year before I was born, and she looks identical to my mother. My mom would sing her to me as a child. It always warms my heart to listen to her.
@janedawson335
The songbird who makes my day...gone, but never forgotten ♥️
@carrolcoulter
Love love love her 👼