She was born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in Los Angeles, California, and studied music at Los Angeles City College. Having operatic training from the age of 13, her first professional experience was in musical theater, with a touring company of the musical Finian's Rainbow in 1949.
While on tour with Finian's Rainbow, Odetta "fell in with an enthusiastic group of young balladeers", and after 1951 concentrated on folksinging. She made her name by playing around the country: at the Blue Angel nightclub (New York City), the hungry i (San Francisco), and Tin Angel (San Francisco), where she and Larry Mohr recorded Odetta and Larry in 1954, for Fantasy Records.
A solo career followed, with Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues (1956) and a live album recorded at the Gate of Horn in Chicago in 1957. Harry Belafonte included her in a nationwide television special in 1959, and Odetta Sings Folk Songs was one of 1963's best-selling folk albums.
Odetta was active in the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr. called her "the queen of American folk music". Bob Dylan and Joan Baez were among many folk musicians who credited Odetta with being a major influence on their work.
Having previous acting experience, Odetta also acted in several films, notably the film of William Faulkner's Sanctuary (1961) and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974).
On December 02, 2008, Odetta died from heart disease in New York City. She was 77 years of age.
Fare Thee Well
Odetta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a north dove
I'd fly across the river
To the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey
Fare thee well
Woke up this morning
Around my heart
Felt an aching pain
Fare thee well, my honey
Fare thee well
One of these mornings
And it won't be long
You'll gonna call my name
Baby, I'll be gone
Fare thee well, my honey
Fare thee well
I had a man
He was big and tall
He moved his body
Like a cannonball
Fare thee well, my honey
Fare thee well
If I had the wings
Of a north dove
I'd fly across the river
To the one I love
Fare thee well, my honey
Fare thee well
In these lyrics to Odetta's song Fare Thee Well, the singer is expressing their longing to be reunited with their lover. The first verse emphasizes the singer's desire to fly to their lover, with the image of having wings like a dove. This could represent a longing for freedom or an escape from their current situation, as well as a desire to be closer to their loved one. The second verse expresses the singer's emotional pain, with rain and an "aching heart" symbolizing sadness and loss. Despite this, the singer still says goodbye to their "honey" in the chorus, perhaps acknowledging that a physical separation is necessary at the moment. The third verse introduces the idea of the singer leaving, with the promise that their lover will call their name in the future. The final verse briefly mentions a past relationship, potentially adding to the singer's reasons for wanting to be reunited with their current lover.
Overall, the song is a melancholic yet hopeful expression of longing and love. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the finality of the situation, but also serves as a reminder that the singer still cares for their lover.
Line by Line Meaning
If I had wings
If only I had the ability to fly
Like a north dove
Just like a dove flying north, I too would take that direction
I'd fly across the river
I would traverse the river in a flash
To the one I love
To the person I deeply care for
Fare thee well, my honey
Goodbye, my dear love
Woke up this morning
I got up this morning
It was drizzling rain
It was raining lightly
Around my heart
In my heart's region
Felt an aching pain
I experienced a painful sensation
Fare thee well, my honey
Goodbye, my dear love
One of these mornings
In the near future
And it won't be long
It will be very soon
You'll gonna call my name
You will summon me
Baby, I'll be gone
I will have departed
Fare thee well, my honey
Goodbye, my dear love
I had a man
I used to have a boyfriend
He was big and tall
He was huge in physique
He moved his body
He danced errogenously
Like a cannonball
Like a thunderous munition
Fare thee well, my honey
Goodbye, my dear love
If I had the wings
If only I had the ability to fly
Of a north dove
Just like a dove flying north, I too would take that direction
I'd fly across the river
I would traverse the river in a flash
To the one I love
To the person I deeply care for
Fare thee well, my honey
Goodbye, my dear love
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.