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.
Won't Be Long
Eva Cassidy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waitin' for my baby, he's comin' back
Comin' back to me on the 503
Ooh and it won't be long, no it won't be long
I get so lonesome since my man's been gone
There ain't a thing worth mentioning
Nothin' goin' on and that's why I know when the whistle blows
My daddy told me when he said goodbye, yes, he did
I'll be back baby, oh baby bye and bye
That's why I've waited so doggone long, yeah
Can't you see how happy I am because my man is comin' home?
So now here I'll be by the railroad track
Oh, waitin' for my baby
He's comin' back, comin' back to me on the 503
Yeah, and it won't be long, no it won't be long
I ain't had no lovin' since you know when
He's a lone old rooster and I'm a lonesome hen
That's why I'm sure when the whistle blows
Ooh, that it won't be long, no it won't be long
I'm so excited my knees are shakin', yeah
Mr. Engineer don't you keep me waitin'
Hear me tellin' you hurry, hurry
Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry
Baby, here I am on the railroad track
Ooh, waitin' for my baby, he's comin' back
Comin' back to me on the 503, yeah
And it won't be long, no it won't be long
I know, oh when the whistle blows, yeah
That it won't be long, no it won't be long
I know, oh when the whistle blows
That it won't be long, no it won't be long
The lyrics to Eva Cassidy's song Won't Be Long describe the anticipation and excitement of a woman waiting for her lover to return on the 503 train. She waits by the railroad track, feeling lonesome and unsure of what to do in the meantime. The verses detail her longing for her man and the excitement she feels when she knows he's approaching. It's a classic blues song that captures the feeling of waiting and the thrill of anticipation.
The song is infused with a sense of hope and anticipation. The woman knows that her lover is coming back soon and she's eagerly waiting for him. The lyrics are repetitive, but they convey the sense of urgency and excitement that fuels the song.
Won't Be Long was written by J. Leslie McFarland and released by Aretha Franklin in 1961. However, it was Cassidy's cover of the song that gained widespread popularity, appearing on her posthumous album, "Songbird" in 1998. Cassidy's soulful voice and acoustic guitar combine to create a haunting rendition of the song.
Overall, Won't Be Long is a song about waiting, longing, and the excitement of finally being reunited with a loved one. Cassidy's interpretation of the classic blues song brings new life to the lyrics, and the emotion she conveys is palpable. It's a timeless song that captures the essence of love and the beauty of anticipation.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby here I am by the railroad track
I am waiting for my lover at the railroad track.
Waitin' for my baby, he's comin' back
I am waiting for my lover to come back to me.
Comin' back to me on the 503
My lover is coming back to me on the 503 train.
Ooh and it won't be long, no it won't be long
I will see my lover very soon.
I get so lonesome since my man's been gone
I feel lonely since my lover is away.
There ain't a thing worth mentioning
There is nothing interesting happening without my lover.
Nothin' goin' on and that's why I know when the whistle blows
Since there is nothing going on, I know that when I hear the train whistle, it means my lover is coming.
My daddy told me when he said goodbye, yes, he did
My father told me that my lover would come back to me.
I'll be back baby, oh baby bye and bye
My lover will come back to me soon.
That's why I've waited so doggone long, yeah
I have waited for my lover for a very long time because I believe he will come back to me.
Can't you see how happy I am because my man is comin' home?
I am ecstatic because my lover is finally coming home.
I ain't had no lovin' since you know when
I have not been with my lover for a long time.
He's a lone old rooster and I'm a lonesome hen
My lover and I have been apart for too long.
That's why I'm sure when the whistle blows
I am certain that when I hear the train whistle, it means my lover is coming.
Ooh, that it won't be long, no it won't be long
I will see my lover very soon.
I'm so excited my knees are shakin', yeah
I am so excited to see my lover that my knees are shaking.
Mr. Engineer don't you keep me waitin'
I am asking the train engineer to arrive quickly and not to delay.
Hear me tellin' you hurry, hurry
I am urging the train to hurry up and arrive.
Baby, here I am on the railroad track
I am still waiting for my lover at the railroad track.
And it won't be long, no it won't be long
I will see my lover very soon.
I know, oh when the whistle blows, yeah
I am very certain that when I hear the train whistle, it means my lover is coming.
That it won't be long, no it won't be long
I will see my lover very soon.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ARLO GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Don Strasbaugh
After a few more listens I just can’t get enough of this fun dance tune. Eva just gives all of herself on every phrase of every single tune she sings. I’m so amazed at her consistency. Truly the greatest singer/musician to ever live. I wish all people could experience her gift. Thank you so much Eva. 😀
tonkip
Is there anything this woman couldn't sing?
Such an unbelievable voice that was silenced way way to soon..:(
R.I.P Eva Cassidy your beautiful voice lives on xxx
Horsey Horselips 🐎
Just found this song by Eva, AMEN 🙏 RIP Angel 👼
Wade Raney
One of my all time sweethearts!!!!
李笑林
love this one
Lolly Reg
Just found this!!! I love it.
Don Strasbaugh
Eva having fun! Cool little tune.
Joseph Charbonneau
❤️
Charles Quinn Warwick
let's dance