Tell Me You'll Wait For Me by Cassandra Wilson (2024)

Tell Me You'll Wait For Me

Cassandra Wilson»Blue Light 'Til Dawn

JazzJazz vocalVocal jazzMellowFemale vocalists

Cassandra Wilson (born 4th December 1955) is a U.S. jazz vocalist and two-t… Read Full Bio ↴Cassandra Wilson (born 4th December 1955) is a U.S. jazz vocalist and two-time Grammy Award winner from Jackson, Mississippi. Two of her albums, Blue Skies (1988) and New Moon Daughter (1996), have topped the US jazz charts, and the latter also won her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 1997. More recently, Wilson's album Loverly (2008) also won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009.

Wilson's repertoire includes both jazz and blues standards and renditions of pop and rock songs. Her contralto voice has been described as bluesy and sultry, and the style of her music ranges from swing to funk to bossa nova. Many of the songs she covers are by artists who usually record in other genres.

Wilson counts the late Miles Davis as one of her greatest influences. In 1989 she performed as the opening act for Davis at the JVC Jazz Festival in Chicago. In 1999 she produced Traveling Miles as a tribute to Davis. The album developed from a series of jazz concerts that she performed at Lincoln Center in November 1997 in Davis's honor and includes three selections based on Davis's own compositions, in which Wilson adapted the original themes.

A Brief Discography
Point of View (1986, JMT)
Days Aweigh (1987, JMT)
Blue Skies (1988, JMT)
Jumpworld (1989, JMT)
She Who Weeps (1990, JMT)
Live (1991, JMT)
After the Beginning Again (1992, JMT)
Dance to the Drums Again (1992, DIW/Columbia)
Blue Light 'til Dawn (1993, Blue Note)
New Moon Daughter (1995, Blue Note)
Rendezvous (with Jacky Terrasson) (1998, Blue Note)
Traveling Miles (1999, Blue Note)
Belly of the Sun (2002, Blue Note)
Glamoured (2003, Blue Note)
Thunderbird (2006, Blue Note)
Loverly (2008, Blue Note)
Silver Pony (2010, Blue Note)
Another Country (2012, eOne)

Official website: www.cassandrawilson.com

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll always love you the same old way
No matter what may come between
Just send me a smile
Once in a lonely while
Tell me, you'll wait for me

How can I forget you starry eyes
You hair when its lit by the moonlit skies

Just keep that smile in you
'Til I come home to you
Tell me, you'll wait for me

You're the one, you're the one
Whom I love, and care so much for
But now, 'til it ends, I'll just wish to be near
Caressing you dear

I'll always dream of dreams with you
Those things we meant to say and do
Keep them a glow(?)
Someday we'll make them so
And tell me, you'll wait for me

I'll always dream of dreams with you
Those things we meant to say and do
Keep them a glow(?)

Someday we'll make them so
Tell me, you'll wait for me

Overall Meaning

The song "Tell Me You'll Wait For Me" by Cassandra Wilson is a heartwarming love ballad that speaks about the power of love and the importance of waiting. The first verse, "I'll always love you the same old way, No matter what may come between, Just send me a smile once in a lonely while, Tell me, you'll wait for me," emphasizes the singer's unwavering love for her partner and a plea to wait for her to return. She expresses her desire for the partner to continue to smile and remain hopeful even in her absence.

In the second verse, the singer reminisces about the beautiful memories they shared and how she longs to be near her partner again. She sings, "How can I forget your starry eyes, Your hair when it's lit by the moonlit skies, Just keep that smile in you, 'Til I come home to you, Tell me, you'll wait for me." This highlights the power of memories that two lovers share and how they should hold onto them even in moments of separation.

The chorus, "You're the one, you're the one, Whom I love, and care so much for, But now, 'til it ends, I'll just wish to be near, Caressing you dear," re-emphasizes the singer's love for her partner and how much she cares for him despite their physical distance. The last verse, "I'll always dream of dreams with you, Those things we meant to say and do, Keep them a glow(?), Someday we'll make them so, And tell me, you'll wait for me," talks about the dreams they both shared and how they have to keep them alive. It encourages them both to continue working towards making their dreams a reality.

Overall, the song is a beautiful expression of love and the importance of waiting. It is a perfect song for those in love who are separated, as it speaks to the hope that love brings and the importance of staying faithful and committed to each other.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll always love you the same old way
My love for you will never change

No matter what may come between
Regardless of any obstacles or challenges

Just send me a smile
Just a simple reminder of your love is enough

Once in a lonely while
Occasionally when you think of me and feel alone

Tell me, you'll wait for me
Promise me that you'll wait for me

How can I forget you starry eyes
Your beautiful eyes will always be on my mind

You hair when its lit by the moonlit skies
Your hair looks stunning when illuminated by the moon

Just keep that smile in you
Please keep smiling and be happy

'Til I come home to you
Until I am reunited with you

You're the one, you're the one
You are my one and only love

Whom I love, and care so much for
There is no one else I love and care for more than you

But now, 'til it ends, I'll just wish to be near
Until our separation comes to an end, I will long to be with you

Caressing you dear
Holding you close and showing affection

I'll always dream of dreams with you
I will always have hopes and aspirations of a future with you