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.
Look Into My Eyes
Eva Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As darkness overcomes the sky
Words flow from the mind to the paper
Words from inside meant for your eyes
Turn your thoughts to the future
See into my mind
Your heart controls my every move
Sitting atop the piano
Blindly stare at the keys
Looking for the notes to open your heart
And let me inside open your eyes
Turn your thoughts to the future
See into my mind
Your heart controls my every move
When you look into my eyes
Turn your thoughts to the future
See into my mind
Your heart controls my every move
When you look into my eyes
The opening lines of Eva Cassidy's "Look Into My Eyes" set the mood for the song. The lyrics speak of an evening in which darkness is gradually taking over, and the natural lights within homes are turning on. The words that follow are about the intimate thoughts and feelings one person is harboring for someone else- meant to be shared through written words, perhaps in the form of letters, notes, or even songs.
As the song progresses, the lyrics intensify with emotional depth. Cassidy's voice carries the weight of longing as she sings of wanting the person she's addressing to "see into [her] mind." The words "Your heart controls my every move" constitute a powerful statement, a declaration of vulnerability, and dependency. Throughout the song, the piano serves as an accompanying instrument that helps deepen the melody and sends shivers up the listener's spine.
"Look into My Eyes" is a love song, a plea from Cassidy for someone to open their heart to her. The lyrics are powerful and poignant, speaking of a yearning for connection and a deep leap of faith in making oneself vulnerable. The song speaks to the human experience, of loving and wanting to be loved in return.
Line by Line Meaning
Lights turn on through the window
As the sun sets and darkness takes over, lights inside a room are turned on and bring a sense of comfort and warmth.
As darkness overcomes the sky
The natural phenomenon of sunset brings forth a time for rest and reflection as the sky fades from blue to black.
Words flow from the mind to the paper
Expressions and emotions are put into words, providing a way to share one's innermost thoughts and feelings.
Words from inside meant for your eyes
The words written or spoken are meant for someone special, somebody close to the heart who will truly understand their meaning.
Turn your thoughts to the future
Think about what is yet to come, what is ahead and what possibilities await.
See into my mind
Look beyond the words and into the deepest parts of my mind and soul.
Your heart controls my every move
The direction and choices taken in life are influenced by the love and affection one receives from someone they care about deeply.
When you look into my eyes
Eye contact is a powerful expression of connection, love, and understanding between two people.
Sitting atop the piano
Piano music is enhanced and creates a calming atmosphere when played, allowing one to sit and reflect upon their thoughts.
Blindly stare at the keys
Focusing on the keys of the piano, a sense of trust is built, as the keys can be seen and felt but not seen, allowing one to relax and let go of negative thoughts.
Looking for the notes to open your heart
In search of the right tune, melody, and rhythm, one finally finds a piece of music that touches their heart and soul.
And let me inside open your eyes
The music allows one to open up their heart and let another person in, to experience the depth of their emotions and feelings.
Contributed by Nathan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Steve Norton
Ever since I first heard Eva sing "Over the Rainbow" I instantly fell in love with her voice, such a tragic loss to every one when she passed on. She was a rare talent that could make any cover sound like it was her original work, very sadly missed even now.
Paula Cimba
She had me at :"Somewhere..."
Kyle Coles
her clear voice is for the ages now and to come. Thank you for being here this time, Eva Cassidy.
Danny Casillas
Rest in peace Eva. You will always be remembered for your love, kindness, and angelic voice through the years and many years after your passing. Especially to those, both known and unknown, in which you have made a difference in their lives are truly grateful.
Walter Macdonald
This was originally released in 1987. Eva also sung all the harmonies herself - Legendary !!!
dan cupo
i'm not sure how I first came across eva but she has mesmorized my days and nights and I feel I know her, her simplicity of person her slow speech so clear and deliberate, her interpretation of lyrics, I play along with still not ready and chain chain on trumpet...where would I be without eva next to me...
Mike Johnson
Great song glad I discovered it.
jenni claire
Thanks for posting that. I thought I had all her albums but I have never heard that track. It was good.
Budha Bisu
I fall in love to Eva Cassidy now ❤
Bob S. Fox
EVA HAD THE MOST GENTLE, LOVING SOUL ANYONE COULD HAVE....YOU ARE MISSED SO MUCH.....GOD LEFT US WITH YOUR VOICE, BIGGER THEN EVER....R.I.P. LITTLE ANGEL.....BOB S. FOX