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.
Warfaring Stranger
Eva Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
while journeying through this world of woe
yet theres no sickness toil nor danger
in that bright land to which i go
Im going there to see my father
im going there no more to roam
im only going over jordan
im only going over home
i know my way my way is rough and steep
yet beautiful fields lie just before me
and gods redeemed their vigils keep
Im going there to see my father
im going there no more to roam
i'm only going over jordan
im only going over home
Im going there oh to see my mother
im going there no more to roam
im only going over jordan
im only going over home
I want to wear that crown of glory
when i get home to that good land
well i want to shout salvations story
in concert with the blood-washed band
Im going there to see my savior
oh im going there no more to roam
im only going over jordan
im only going over home
Well i'm only going over home
yeah only going over home
i'm only going over home
In the song "Wayfaring Stranger", Eva Cassidy sings of her journey through this world of woe as a poor wayfaring stranger. She longs for the bright land to which she is going, where there is no sickness, toil or danger. She knows that dark clouds will gather over her and her way is rough and steep, but she is comforted by the fact that beautiful fields lie just before her, and God's redeemed keep vigil over her. Her ultimate goal is to see her father, mother and savior, and she wants to wear a crown of glory and shout salvation's story in concert with the blood-washed band.
The song is a traditional American spiritual that has been passed down through generations in the oral tradition. It has been recorded by many artists, including Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. Eva Cassidy's version is particularly poignant, as it was recorded just months before her death at the age of 33 from melanoma.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
I am a traveler with no fixed abode and few possessions.
while journeying through this world of woe
As I continue my journey through this difficult and sorrowful world.
yet there's no sickness toil nor danger
But when I arrive in the next world, I will find relief from all pain, struggle, and fear.
in that bright land to which I go
The afterlife that I anticipate is full of light and peace.
I'm going there to see my father
My motivation for reaching the afterlife is to be reunited with my deceased father.
I'm going there no more to roam
I will not wander again once I cross over to the other side.
I'm only going over Jordan
I will cross the river Jordan, a symbol of death, to reach my destination.
I'm only going over home
My true home is in the afterlife, and that's where I am heading.
I know dark clouds will gather over me
I am aware that I will encounter challenges and difficulties along the way.
I know my way, my way is rough and steep
I am prepared to face the tough and treacherous path that lies ahead.
yet beautiful fields lie just before me
Despite the obstacles, I can see that there is beauty and splendor waiting for me on the other side.
and God's redeemed their vigils keep
The souls that have already passed away are wide awake and waiting for me to join them.
I want to wear that crown of glory
My ultimate goal is to receive recognition and rewards for a life well lived.
when I get home to that good land
Once I reach the afterlife, which is a place of goodness and perfection.
well I want to shout salvation's story
I want to sing and proclaim the story of my salvation and entrance into the next world.
in concert with the blood-washed band
I will join a choir of other souls who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ.
I'm going there to see my savior
I am excited to meet my Lord and Savior in person.
oh, I'm going there no more to roam
I will not wander or be lost again because I will have finally arrived at my true home.
I'm only going over Jordan
The river Jordan is the symbolic threshold that I must cross to enter the afterlife.
I'm only going over home
My final destination is my eternal home in the next world.
Well, I'm only going over home
My journey will come to an end once I arrive at my ultimate destination.
Yeah, only going over home
I am looking forward to crossing the river and being at home in the afterlife.
Contributed by Oliver W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DL Ray
I am a poor wayfaring stranger
While journeying through this world of woe
Yet there's no sickness toil nor danger
In that bright land to which I go
I'm going there to see my father
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I know dark clouds will gather over me
I know my way is rough and steep
Yet beautiful fields lie just before me
And God's redeemed their vigils keep
I'm going there to see my father
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I'm going there to see my mother
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
I want to wear that crown of glory
When I get home to that good land
Well I want to shout salvation's story
In concert with the blood-washed band
I'm going there to see my Savior
Oh I'm going there no more to roam
I'm only going over Jordan
I'm only going over home
Well I'm only going over home
Yeah only going over home
I'm only going over home
Charlie Jervis
WAYFARING STRANGER
by
Johnny Cash
I'm just a poor wayfaring stranger
Traveling through this world below
There is no sickness, no toil, nor danger
In that bright land to which I go
I'm going there to see my Father
And all my loved ones who've gone on
I'm just going over Jordan
I'm just going over home
I know dark clouds will gather 'round me
I know my way is hard and steep
But beauteous fields arise before me
Where God's redeemed,
Shimeih
My favorite version of this song ever🙌🏽🙌🏽
Nathan Maaka
Fabulous version
S M
I've always heard this song, slow and somber. When the music started, I thought, "I think I've come to one of Eva's songs that I don't like." Boy was I ever wrong!!! This woman could sing your grocery list and make it beautiful. I guess she's that wayfaring stranger. She's gone home, no more to roam. A gain for heaven, but such a loss for us.
Tobias Oellers
So did I. This is not the way I prefer Wayfaring Stranger is sung, but her voice still makes it an unbelievable experience.
Trevor Morris
@Tobias Oellers
I would say this is not the way I would NORMALLY like it to be sung. However, this particular version is great. There is also an acoustic version by Eva which is more traditional but I prefer this version of hers. She rocks this one up with that bluesy, jazzy, almost black gospel passion, but she still remains true to the sentiments of the song.
Horsey Horselips 🐎
AMEN 🎤🙏💔🙏🎤
Marla E. Hutchinson
Well said I agree with everything you said 💙🦋✨️
Lorraine Taylor
Beautifully put.💗🌈
David Brooks
What hasn’t been said about Eva Cassidy. She had everything. Her voice will never die out. She didn’t know it, but she left a huge hole, that nobody since has filled. Raw talent. Powerful, soft, meaningful voice. She didn’t just sing a song, she became the song, putting her whole self into every performance. Trying to think of somebody that can, or wants to do that today, ,,,,,,, nope , can’t think of anyone . She was unique, and if I am ever trapped on an island, I hope to god I have her music with me. Thanks to Sir Terry Wogan for opening our ears to her greatness. God rest you both. DB.
Phil Piper
Great comment. There is, and has been for 30 years or so, an artist who also sings using body and soul, the incomparable Lara Fabian.