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.
I Know You By Heart
Eva Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The glowing fire
Lights up your face in orange and gold
I see your sweet smile
Shine through the darkness
It's line is etched in my memory
So I'd know you by heart
Mornings in April
Sharing the secrets
We'd walk on till the morning was gone
We were like children
Laughing for hours
The joy you gave me
Lives on and on
'Cause I know you by heart
I still hear your voice
On warm summer nights
Whispering like the wind
Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhh
You left in autumn
The leaves were turning
I walked down roads of orange and gold
I saw your sweet smile
I heard your laughter
You're still here beside me
Everyday
'Cause I know you by heart
'Cause I know you by heart
Eva Cassidy’s song “I Know You By Heart” is a moving tribute to a love that lasts forever. The lyrics paint vivid images of the memories shared with a loved one, and how those memories have become etched in the singer's mind and heart. The imagery associated with the changing seasons, from the glowing fire and orange-gold face of a loved one in winter, to walks taken in the warm sun of April, paint a picture of a life well-lived, full of laughter and shared secrets, and all of it remembered and cherished.
The song touches on themes of love, loss, and the power of memory. The lines "You're still here beside me everyday / 'Cause I know you by heart" illustrate how the singer’s memories of their beloved continue to be a source of comfort and strength, even as time moves on. Through her beautiful voice and poignant lyrics, Eva Cassidy captures the deep and timeless bonds that connect us to those we cherish most.
Overall, “I Know You By Heart” is a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to a timeless love. The way the lyrics show the power of memories and how they continue to comfort and inspire us is a testament to the enduring human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnights in winter
During the darkest and coldest time of the year when the world is silent, and everything seems still
The glowing fire
The warmth and light provided by the burning embers and flames of a fire
Lights up your face in orange and gold
The way the fire illuminates and highlights the colors of your face, creating a beautiful and warm glow
I see your sweet smile
I remember the wonderful face you would make when you smiled, it was pure and full of love
Shine through the darkness
Your light and positive energy radiated even during the darkest times, bringing warmth and comfort to those around you
It's line is etched in my memory
The memory of your smile, your laughter, and your warmth is deeply ingrained in my mind, like an etching that can never be erased
So I'd know you by heart
The memories of you are so vivid and strong that I feel like I know you completely and intimately even though you are not physically here
Mornings in April
The start of spring, when life seems to awaken and everything is renewed
Sharing the secrets
The intimacy and trust that allowed us to confide in one another and share our deepest thoughts and secrets
We'd walk on till the morning was gone
Our joy and happiness together was so great that we would lose track of time and let the moments stretch on for hours
We were like children
Our innocent and carefree nature when we were together, free from the worries and stresses of the world
Laughing for hours
The way you could always make me laugh and bring joy to any situation, creating lasting memories that I cherish to this day
The joy you gave me
You brought so much happiness and light into my life, and for that, I am forever grateful
Lives on and on
The impact you had on my life and the love that we shared will continue to exist and live on forever
'Cause I know you by heart
The memories and love that I have for you are so deeply ingrained in me that I will always know and remember you intimately
I still hear your voice
Even though you are no longer here, I can still hear the sound of your voice in my mind and heart
On warm summer nights
During those lazy and hot summer evenings when the world seems to slow down, and everything is peaceful
Whispering like the wind
The soft, soothing, and comforting sound of your voice, that could be gentle like the breeze blowing through the trees
You left in autumn
The time when everything starts to change, and the world prepares itself for a new cycle
The leaves were turning
The way the leaves on the trees would change colors and fall to the ground, signaling a new season of life
I walked down roads of orange and gold
The beauty of the autumn landscape, and the way it reminded me of you and the wonderful memories we shared
I heard your laughter
The way your laughter would fill the air and bring joy to anyone who heard it
You're still here beside me
Even though you are gone, the memory of you and the way you touched my life is always with me, like a constant companion
Everyday
No matter where I am or what I am doing, you are always with me, in my thoughts and in my heart
'Cause I know you by heart
The memory of you is so strong that no matter what happens, it will always be a part of me, and I will always know and love you intimately
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TERRANCE HARRISON, MARGARET NELSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
B4Usmilelaugh
Midnights in winter
The glowing fire
Lights up your face in orange and gold
I see your sweet smile
Shine through the darkness
It's line is etched in my memory
So I'd know you by heart
Mornings in April
Sharing the secrets
We'd walk on till the morning was gone
We were like children
Laughing for hours
The joy you gave me
Lives on and on
'Cause I know you by heart
I still hear your voice
On warm summer nights
Whispering like the wind
Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhh
You left in autumn
The leaves were turning
I walked down roads of orange and gold
I saw your sweet smile
I heard your laughter
You're still here beside me
Everyday
'Cause I know you by heart
'Cause I know you by heart
Matthew Clark
To the person who first introduced me to the angelic voice and music of Eva. To me yours is just as amazing
We were like children, laughing for hours
The joy you gave me lives on and on
Cause I know you by heart
I still hear your voice
On warm summer nights
Whispering like the wind
Robin Mead
Lyrics:
Midnights in winter
The glowing fire
Lights up your face in -orange and gold
I see your sweet smile
Shine through the darkness
It's line is etched in my memory
So I'd know you by heart
Mornings in April
Sharing our secrets
We'd walk until the -morning was gone
We were like children
Laughing for hours
The joy you gave me
Lives on and on
'Cause I know you by heart
I still hear your voice
On warm summer nights
Whispering like the wind
ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhh hoo hoo
You left in autumn
The leaves were turning
I walked down roads of -orange and gold
I saw your sweet smile
I heard your laughter
You're still here beside me
Everyday
'Cause I know you by heart
'Cause I know you by heart
Darian Krieger
When it's quiet and I am alone I get overwhelmed with memories of happy days gone by,loved ones lost and good old childhood friends that I just don't know where they are or how they doing.Eva's voice connects me to those days instantly.
"I can cleary hear the the wind through the pine trees my Grandfather planted.
Rustling of the autumn leaves
Sound of the winter winds howling outside the old steel frame window
Whisper of the rain on the roof of our now broken down and abandoned farm house
Refreshing aroma of wild herbs and soil after the rain
The peek of the first Spring sun over the dew droplets on the leaves and grass fields
And the call of the fish eagle over the Breede river on a quiet Sunday afternoon while the sun reflects a kaleidoscope in the peaceful waters.
What to do with these memories fully engraved on my heart but lost to the sands of the hour glass"
Pam Taylor
My husband died almost 5 years ago. We were married 41 years. I miss him so much. The words to this song is exactly how I feel without him. Thank you Eva, for putting my heart into words.
Eyes on the Prize
Sorry for your loss. 😞
4estdwellerinmyheart
As much as it hurts and as sad as it is, what a joy, privilege and blessing it is to have been loved so well by such a beautiful man. Me, too. 😔
Pam Taylor
Im sorry for your loss. I’m grateful for the 41 years we had together. The grief we feel after losing someone we love, means we were loved much.
4estdwellerinmyheart
@Pam Taylor 100 times yes! It has been 9 years now for me. We were on our way to 32 years. That history…nothing can take its place.
In the hollow of your shoulder
There’s a tide pool of my tears
Where the waves came crashing over and the shoreline disappears
~ Beth Neilson-Chapman
From the album Sand and Water
Song: Seven Shades of Blue
Diane
🌻
B4Usmilelaugh
Midnights in winter
The glowing fire
Lights up your face in orange and gold
I see your sweet smile
Shine through the darkness
It's line is etched in my memory
So I'd know you by heart
Mornings in April
Sharing the secrets
We'd walk on till the morning was gone
We were like children
Laughing for hours
The joy you gave me
Lives on and on
'Cause I know you by heart
I still hear your voice
On warm summer nights
Whispering like the wind
Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhh
You left in autumn
The leaves were turning
I walked down roads of orange and gold
I saw your sweet smile
I heard your laughter
You're still here beside me
Everyday
'Cause I know you by heart
'Cause I know you by heart
NorthAngel30 Leather
Beautiful, voice of a true angel, taken from the world too soon.
George Melvin
Smiles, absolutely beautiful indeed, feels really great listening, how are you doing? 🌺 😊
Stephen Frey
Eva was the purest vocalist I've ever heard.She was truly a precious gift from the heavens,where she now sings to the angels.RIP dear one.